Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me time. I am here to remind myself and everybody that we each took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, and within the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is the Fourth Amendment. I will read a portion of that for all of you: ``The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated. . . . `' It doesn't say: Well, if we have got an important matter, we can violate it; if it is too difficult, if it takes too long, Mr. Speaker, we can violate it. It doesn't say that. It says it ``shall not be violated.'' Now, we are here to debate the rule today on this, and I will tell you I have concerns about the rule because we worked to make sure that amendments would be in order so that we could vote for them on the floor. I have concerns about the rule. Assuming this rule passes and this bill comes to the floor, Mr. Speaker, the FBI and the intelligence agencies--just the last time there was a report out--spied on Americans illegally 278,000 times. It sure is long past time that we do something about it. It is sure long past time. I will tell you, the fact that they are quibbling and fighting about having a warrant requirement, that they are fighting over protecting the data that they are purchasing, not just on me, Mr. Speaker, not just on you, the people in the gallery, the people that are watching on TV.…”