Janice Schakowsky: “I do not support S. 990, which extends three controversial PATRIOT Act provisions. There is a much better way to…”

“I do not support S. 990, which extends three controversial PATRIOT Act provisions. There is a much better way to safeguard our national security without jeopardizing the privacy and civil liberties of American citizens. This legislation reauthorizes these sections of the PATRIOT Act without making necessary improvements, and it fails to even address other problematic practices, including the use of National Security Letters. Among the provisions included in this extension is Section 215, which expands the government's ability to private, confidential records, without showing probable cause or direct connection to a foreign power or agent. This includes library, and bookstore records, as well as highly personal information such as medical records. In addition to my concerns about what is in this bill, I am concerned about what is not in it. Instead of engaging in a real debate about reforming the PATRIOT Act, we are simply continuing the bad policies of the past. Tonight's bill fails to address the widespread use (and abuse) of National Security Letters. The National Security Letters provisions of the PATRIOT Act, which drastically expand government authority to demand private records without prior court approval, have been used hundreds of thousands of times since 2001. There is another way to protect our citizens, without treading on their rights. Congressman Conyers has offered an alternative proposal, H.R.…”