[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 149 (Tuesday, November 16, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H7457]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FULL BODY SCANNERS VIOLATE FOURTH AMENDMENT
(Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House
for 1 minute.)
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, a trip to the airport these days
leaves Americans with embarrassing choices. Law-abiding citizens can
bare it all through a peekaboo body scanner--or they can get groped in
a pat-down search by a Federal employee. Now that's a real choice.
There is no evidence these new body scanners make us more secure. But
there is evidence that former Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff
made money hawking these full body scanners.
The underwear bomber tried to blow up a plane over Detroit last
Christmas. Shortly thereafter, Chertoff went on a media tour promoting
the full body scanners. This former Homeland Security chief told
everyone we had to have the full body scanners at airports to be safe.
Too bad he didn't disclose he was getting paid to sell these intrusive
devices. Isn't that lovely?
Meanwhile, the populace is giving up more rights in the name of
alleged security. These body scanners are a violation of the Fourth
Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures. There must
be a better way to have security at airports than taking pornographic
photographs of our citizens, including children, and then giving
apparent kickbacks to political hacks.
And that's just the way it is.
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