[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 22985]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       CONGRATULATING REPUBLICANS FOR ACTING TO PROTECT AMERICANS

  (Mr. PEARCE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate congressional 
Republicans for acting to protect Americans.
  Last week we passed, and yesterday the President signed, legislation 
protecting Americans who in good faith report suspicious terrorist 
activities. Conservatives successfully fought the liberal leadership of 
this House to pass the John Doe protection legislation.
  On August 1, after the House and Senate acted, the lawyer for the six 
Muslim clerics who were removed from a U.S. Airways flight last 
November amended their lawsuit to remove John Doe passengers from the 
lawsuit. What does that mean, Mr. Speaker? That means that the 
responsible Americans who report suspicious behavior and who will 
report suspicious behavior in the future no longer have the threat of a 
lawsuit hanging over their head.
  This legislation is already making Americans safer. It means that we 
can tell Americans that if they see something, they should report it. 
Our Founding Fathers envisioned it thus. The price of liberty is 
eternal vigilance. Americans should know that Republicans in Congress 
are standing behind the vigilant citizens and saying, ``I am John 
Doe.''

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