On the recordFebruary 10, 2011
I find it disturbing that today we're going to start out on a 9 rac{1}{2}-hour debate on a meaningless, redundant measure that simply instructs Congress and its committees to review regulations and we could be spending that time dealing with such a very important, serious issue such as reauthorization of this so-called Patriot Act. This bill is too serious, it's too important, to be reauthorized without any hearings, no markups, no opportunity for amendments. There is bipartisan consensus that these provisions need some improvement--roving wiretaps, the lone wolf provisions, especially business records. While the threat of terrorism is real and law enforcement must have the right tools to protect Americans, any counterterrorism measure must have a solid constitutional footing and respect the privacy and civil liberties of the American people.
