[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 159 (Thursday, October 29, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H12049]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              PATRIOT ACT

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, in just the last few weeks, we have seen 
the FBI and local law enforcement thwart five separate terrorist 
attacks. Clearly, radical Islamic terrorists continue to be a serious 
threat to the safety and security of all Americans.
  In one FBI sting, Hosam Smadi thought he was about to blow up a 60-
story office tower in Dallas. When asked whether he wanted ear plugs, 
he declined saying that he wanted to hear the blast clearly. Not only 
was Smadi willing to take thousands of lives, he wanted to revel in the 
experience. To facilitate the arrest of Smadi and other terrorists, the 
FBI used surveillance enabled by the PATRIOT Act.
  By the end of this year, three key surveillance provisions in the act 
will expire. If we want to ensure that the FBI is able to continue 
their critical mission of identifying and arresting terrorists before 
they strike, we must not take away these critical tools. Our law 
enforcement agencies are working hard to keep America safe, and the 
PATRIOT Act ensures that they are able to track and follow individuals 
who are working toward violent ends.

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