[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7459]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              PROTECTING AMERICANS FIGHTING TERRORISM ACT

  (Mr. PEARCE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, ever since 9/11, law enforcement agencies 
have been telling the American people they should immediately report 
suspicious activities. This important step is one of the best ways we 
have to stop terrorism. Sadly, last week, Americans who were simply 
trying to protect themselves in their country have now found themselves 
subject to a lawsuit for reporting suspicious activity.
  In a lawsuit filed against US Airways, 60 moms removed from planes in 
Minneapolis have named ``John Does'' as defendants. These are simply 
people who were watching suspicious activities and called to report 
those suspicious activities, and now they are going to be terrorized in 
our court system in this country.
  Mr. Speaker, I think that that is unconscionable, and so I am 
presenting the Protecting Americans Fighting Terrorism Act to keep 
people safe who report suspicious activity in this country to law 
enforcement officials to protect the American people.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important measure to help us be 
able to police ourselves and report suspicious activity.

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