[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9724]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        FBI RAID ON CAPITOL HILL

  (Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I disagree with the 
bipartisan House leadership criticism of the FBI's search of a Member's 
office. I know nothing specifically about the case, except that the 
uncontroverted public evidence did seem to justify the issuance of a 
warrant.
  What we now have is a Congressional leadership, the Republican part 
of which has said it is okay for law enforcement to engage in 
warrantless searches of the average citizen, now objecting when a 
search, pursuant to a validly issued warrant, is conducted of a Member 
of Congress.
  I understand that the speech and debate clause is in the 
Constitution. It is there because Queen Elizabeth I and King James I 
were disrespectful of Parliament. It ought to be, in my judgment, 
construed narrowly. It should not be in any way interpreted as meaning 
that we as Members of Congress have legal protections superior to those 
of the average citizen.
  So I think it was a grave error to have criticized the FBI. I think 
what they did, they ought to be able to do in every case where they can 
get a warrant from a judge. I think, in particular, for the leadership 
of this House, which has stood idly by while this administration has 
ignored the rights of citizens, to then say we have special rights as 
Members of Congress is wholly inappropriate.

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