Andy Barr: “The provisions that we have added back into this bill during the conference proceedings are different from those that…”

“The provisions that we have added back into this bill during the conference proceedings are different from those that were in the bill earlier and that were removed in the Barr amendment. They are protective of civil liberties. They grant our law enforcement community the very specific narrowly crafted tools that it needs in certain key areas. But nothing has changed in terms of my regard for civil liberties, my regard for taking a very close look at those provisions and allowing those only insofar as I am able to be enacted into law that are absolutely essential. The gentleman goes on and on about multipoint or roving wiretaps. The American people and Members of this body certainly are aware of the vast power that our Government currently has with which to wiretap. There indeed are provisions in current law in Title 18 of the United States Code that already provide for multipoint wiretap. There may very well be civil liberties problems with the proposal of the other side. It is a vast expansion of current authority, and I do not feel that it would be at all appropriate to consider it precipitously as we would be doing today.”