On the recordMay 23, 2011
I rise in support of invoking cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 1038, the PATRIOT Sunsets Extension Act of 2011. In 4 days, on May 27, three FISA provisions--the lone wolf, roving wiretap, and section 215 business records authorities--will expire unless Congress acts to reauthorize them. The House has been working on a bill, H.R. 1800, that would make the lone wolf provision permanent and extend the other two provisions until December 2017. Senators Feinstein and Leahy have sponsored bills that would, among other things, extend all three provisions until December 2013. It seems to me that S. 1038, with its extension of the three sunsets until June 1, 2015, is a reasonable compromise. Although I believe each one of these tools should be made permanent, this bill will ensure that our intelligence professionals have the tools they need to keep our Nation safe. There is little disagreement that these provisions should and must be reauthorized. FBI Director Robert Mueller has testified repeatedly that each one of these provisions is important to both national security as well as criminal investigations. But their importance does not end there. Because of enhanced information-sharing rules and procedures other parts of the intelligence community, such as the National Counterterrorism Center and the National Counterproliferation Center, often depend on the information collected under these provisions.…
