Judd Gregg: “the PATRIOT Act has been inserted into this debate, which is unfortunate, but I do think it is important to make a…”

“the PATRIOT Act has been inserted into this debate, which is unfortunate, but I do think it is important to make a couple of points in response to the Senator from Michigan because there is misrepresentation here, in my opinion, as to the characterization of the activity. The majority of the Senate has said it wants to pass the PATRIOT Act which is at the desk. The Senator from Michigan has refused to allow us to take up that act, as has the vast majority of her party--although there were a couple of folks on our side who I believe voted that way. So the issue is not that the majority of the Senate is opposed to the PATRIOT Act at the desk; the issue is the minority of the Senate is not going to allow the PATRIOT Act to come to a vote in the Senate and thus the PATRIOT Act will expire. The only reasonable analysis of that situation is the expiration is a result of the minority of the Senate, led by a fairly large number of the Democratic membership of the Senate, desiring to put form over substance and not allow the PATRIOT Act to a final vote and, as a result, forcing the expiration of the PATRIOT Act. They cannot now come to the floor and say, Oh, but we didn't mean it. We killed the PATRIOT Act, but we didn't mean it. The fact is, this bill which is at the desk has bipartisan support, has gone through the committee process, and is the proper way to deal with the PATRIOT Act.…”