Earl Blumenauer: “I strongly oppose S. 2271, Additional Reauthorizing Amendments to the PATRIOT Act. This legislation fails to address any…”

“I strongly oppose S. 2271, Additional Reauthorizing Amendments to the PATRIOT Act. This legislation fails to address any of the core fundamental flaws with the original PATRIOT Act and makes controversial provisions permanent which threaten American's civil liberties. By making the sunset provisions permanent, we are losing the opportunity for a meaningful review. Time and time again, we have extended the reauthorization deadline in an effort to fix the flaws and yet once more we have brought forth legislation that compromises our civil rights in exchange for government control. As we saw last year, the administration was cavalier with domestic spying through the National Security Administration. Their ability to undermine the American public should worry my colleagues and makes me question the reasoning behind giving additional authority with the USA Patriot Act. In S. 2271, a recipient of national security letters (NSL) is able to challenge a nondisclosure (gag) order but they must wait a year until they can file a petition and that order can be renewed indefinitely at the government's discretion, making it harder to challenge. In addition, S. 2271 fails to provide meaningful protection for the privacy of library patrons and library records. It exempts libraries that operate in their traditional role, but does not exempt those who use or offer electronic communication services such as Internet access.…”