Saxby Chambliss: “once again, I want to congratulate Chairman Specter and Chairman Roberts for their extraordinary work in forging a…”

“once again, I want to congratulate Chairman Specter and Chairman Roberts for their extraordinary work in forging a conference report on the reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act. I have previously expressed disappointment that many concessions were made during this process which I believe have resulted in a bill far weaker than the original PATRIOT Act which passed overwhelmingly in response to the terrorist attacks of 9-11 and which represented long- overdue modernization of our intelligence and criminal investigative techniques. Similarly, this bill is far weaker than that agreed to after the hard work of the House-Senate conferees. Nevertheless, our failure to pass this important extension would once again relegate America's intelligence and criminal professionals to the dark ages of investigative techniques, shackle them with outdated constraints, and prevent them from finding and stopping those who are intent on murder, terror, and the ultimate annihilation of Western civilization. Arguments against the PATRIOT Act have been largely, if not wholly, without factual basis. They are premised upon a misperception of what protects our liberties. For the last 5 years, it has been the PATRIOT Act which has, at once, helped to keep us safe and to protect our Constitutional rights and liberties. Those liberties have not been jeopardized by expanded governmental authority, but by violent attacks against our way of life by terrorists.…”