Mike Pence: “today the Congress will send to the President of the United States the reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act. Chairman Jim…”

“today the Congress will send to the President of the United States the reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act. Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner and other members of the Judiciary Committee and the conference committee are to be commended for their effort in putting together a bill that balances the liberty and security interests of the American people. This is an issue that is not just theoretical for me, Mr. Speaker. I not only serve on the House Judiciary Committee, but I was here on September 11, and I served on the committee as we built the PATRIOT Act in the immediate days following that national tragedy. That is why making 14 of the 16 provisions of the PATRIOT Act permanent is a critical element of ensuring the security of the American people, and putting safeguards on the two remaining provisions is evidence of a careful balancing act that has been accomplished in a bipartisan way. We must equip law enforcement and intelligence officials with the tools necessary to protect our Nation from terrorist attacks. We must also safeguard the civil liberties of the American people to fulfill the vision of freedom. For that reason, I urge my colleagues, with gratitude to our leadership, to move this PATRIOT Act to the President today. ____________________”