[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 157 (Wednesday, October 17, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H11644]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               PROTECTING OUR LIBERTIES AND OUR SECURITY

  (Mr. HOLT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, later today the House will vote on the RESTORE 
Act, on electronic surveillance, which its well-intentioned authors 
believe will help both protect our liberties and protect our security. 
It does the latter, but, unfortunately, does not fully do the former.
  The bill includes a provision that could be used to spy on Americans 
without warrants. There is no need for us to pass in haste yet again a 
bill that does not protect the citizens. We must not give in to the 
politics of fear. I urge our leadership to make the changes necessary 
to this bill so that it protects our citizens from both enemy attacks 
and warrantless government surveillance.
  Mr. Speaker, executive branch assurances that the rights of Americans 
will be protected through administrative procedures are no substitute 
for judicial protections. In recent weeks and months we have seen too 
many abuses of administrative warrants to find reassurance in that. We 
will have the best protection when agencies have to demonstrate to a 
court that they know what they are doing.

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