Sherrod Brown: “today, the House considers S. 2271, The USA PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act. I opposed the original…”

“today, the House considers S. 2271, The USA PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act. I opposed the original 2001 PATRIOT Act because it failed to strike an appropriate balance between giving law enforcement agencies the tools necessary to protect Americans from terrorism and maintaining the freedoms that protect America from tyranny. Like the 2001 bill, the PATRIOT Act reauthorization conference report is unacceptable, and the amendments proposed by S. 2771 again fall short of the mark. Last year, the Senate unanimously agreed to legislation striking an appropriate balance between security and liberty. That bill offered an opportunity to fight terrorism effectively without giving up our rights and freedoms. By contrast, S. 2271 would make minor changes to the PATRIOT Act, and the final result falls well short of the standard set by the Senate legislation. We should insist on real PATRIOT Act reform that protects both our safety and our freedom. Until then, I cannot support fig leaf legislation intended to cover up the basic problems of the PATRIOT Act. You not only have to do the right thing, you have to do it in the right way. This act and these amendments do neither.”