[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 159 (Monday, September 29, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6813-S6814]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   Unanimous Consent Request--S. 2850

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, in the wake of the violent and senseless 
murders of multiple lawmakers and political advocates, I rise to seek 
passage of legislation that will provide a real measure of protection 
to all Americans for their privacy and security.
  Before I do, I also want to point out that I am just back from the 
so-called ``war-ravaged hellhole'' of Portland, OR--my hometown--and 
somehow I made it out unscathed. I will have more to say, but I want to 
make clear that my hometown of Portland is safe; it is vibrant; and 
Portlanders do not want Federal troops and do not need Federal troops.
  Now, with respect to privacy, as it stands today, data brokers have 
amassed vast amounts of Americans' personal information, which they are 
willing to sell to anyone with a credit card. Would-be murderers can 
often find the home addresses and other personal information about 
their targets within a few search results on Google. Indeed, the 
assassin who murdered Minnesota State representative Melissa Hortman 
and shot State senator John Hoffman repeatedly used ``people search'' 
websites run by data brokers to learn the home addresses of the 
victims.
  I also recognize that Members of Congress receive untold numbers of 
violent and harassing threats as a result of our jobs, and I want to 
credit the bipartisan effort in the Senate Commerce Committee to 
provide privacy protections for Members of Congress. I do not intend to 
stand in the way of their legislation.
  The bill I offer today takes the privacy protections against data 
brokers in the Commerce Committee's bill and extends them to all 
Americans. Protecting everyone is the most effective way to protect 
U.S. military and intelligence personnel, including undercover 
officers. There have been numerous press reports over the past few 
years revealing how data brokers are selling sensitive location data 
collected from U.S. personnel who are working at military bases and 
other sensitive facilities and that they are willing to actually sell 
this data to foreign buyers. Members of Congress should not receive 
special treatment. Our constituents deserve protection from violence, 
stalking, and other criminal threats.
  For that reason, Mr. President, as in legislative session and 
notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be discharged from 
further consideration of S. 2850; that the Senate proceed to its 
immediate consideration; that the bill be considered read a third time 
and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and 
laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Texas.
  Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, in reserving the right to object, I thank my 
friend the Senator from Oregon for his passion for privacy. He has had 
a passion for protecting privacy his entire tenure in the Senate, as 
have I, and his passion is genuine. I believe we have an obligation, a 
bipartisan obligation, to do more to protect the privacy of Americans, 
especially kids, but to protect the privacy of Americans across the 
board.
  We also are well aware we live in a time in which violence is on the 
rise. There is enormous division. There is

[[Page S6814]]

enormous anger and hatred. The entire world was shocked just a couple 
of weeks ago at the assassination of Charlie Kirk by a deranged gunman 
who inscribed his political agenda on the shell casings as he murdered 
a husband and a father of two. Just last week, I was in Dallas where 
another deranged gunman opened fire at an ICE facility, killing two. 
Again, that deranged gunman inscribed his political agenda on the shell 
casings. I wish we did not face this partisan anger. I wish we did not 
face these threats of violence.
  A previous Congress passed legislation protecting the personal 
information of Federal judges because, sadly, too many Federal judges 
and their families have been targeted for violence. That legislation 
was bipartisan; it passed into law; and it has had some modicum of 
success in protecting Federal judges and their families.
  In this instance, Senator Klobuchar, a Democrat, and myself have 
teamed up together to extend the same protections of privacy that 
Federal judges have to Members of Congress and to their staffs. We are 
all blessed to represent our States, and yet we know that there are 
threats of violence that come with this job. Collectively, the 100 of 
us in this Chamber have faced thousands and thousands of death threats 
and threats of violence. Our staffs have been victims of violence over 
and over again, and so this legislation is bipartisan legislation to 
enhance the safety and security of Members of Congress and their 
staffs.
  Senator Wyden has now suggested broadening that to all Americans. I 
admire that sentiment and agree with that sentiment. There are 
challenges, however, with the language he has drafted. The language he 
has drafted, as presently written, could, among other things, prevent 
law enforcement and parents from knowing where convicted sexual 
predators are living. It could have the effect of gutting Megan's Laws 
that have been adopted all across this country.
  So what I have offered to Senator Wyden is to work with him in good 
faith. I chair the Commerce Committee. I have already offered to 
convene a hearing to examine how we can expand privacy protections more 
broadly but do so in a way that doesn't disrupt law enforcement; that 
doesn't disrupt legitimate interests, such as knowing where sexual 
predators are living and making sure they are not living near young 
children, near daycares, near schools.
  Because the legislation submitted by the Senator from Oregon has not 
yet worked through those issues, I reiterate my offer to work in a 
bipartisan manner to find an expansion of the legislation that is under 
consideration that would work effectively, but in the meantime, I 
object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.
  The Senator from Oregon.
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, the Senator from Texas has offered to do a 
hearing on my proposal, and I do appreciate that.
  I simply believe it is unfortunate when the Senate will pass privacy 
protections for ourselves but not for all Americans and that only shady 
data brokers, would-be murderers and stalkers, as well as foreign 
adversaries buying data on U.S. Government officials, are actually 
going to benefit from blocking this bill.