[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 110 (Friday, June 28, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4674-S4675]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TREATY DOCUMENT 111-8

  Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, due to my concerns related to violations of 
the Fourth Amendment, I will object to any unanimous consent request, 
motion, or waiver of any rule in relation to Treaty Doc. 111-8.
  I cannot support action that provides for the bulk collection of the 
financial records of U.S. citizens. The benefits of the treaty 
agreement should not come at the grave expense of endangering regular 
foreign investment and violating the constitutionally protected right 
of every American to be free from unreasonable suspicionless searches.

[[Page S4675]]

  Previous tax treaties were more focused on information specific to 
suspicions of fraud and required serious allegations of tax wrongdoing 
to be supported by evidence. The new bulk collection provisions, 
however, demand Americans' records under a vague standard that allows 
the government to access personal financial information that may be 
``relevant'' through information exchanges between the U.S. and foreign 
governments. This new, lower, and ambiguous threshold would allow 
government access to bank records for hardly any reason at all. I do 
not condone tax cheats, but I cannot support an effort that punishes 
every American in pursuit of those that have actually broken the law.
  Accordingly, I will object to any unanimous consent request, motion, 
or waiver or any rule in relation to Treaty Doc. 111-8.

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