Political Quotes

“with regard to the unanimous consent request, I need to be clear once again, and I have over the last couple of days, that I absolutely oppose a short-term extension of the PATRIOT Act. The House of Representatives opposes such an extension and the President will not sign such an extension. Extending the PATRIOT Act does not go far enough. It is time to bring this to a vote this morning. We will see what the outcome of that vote is in terms of ending debate. I don't understand why opponents of the PATRIOT Act want to extend legislation at this juncture that has been fully debated, that has been the product of reasonable compromise and in a bipartisan way over the last several weeks and months. With an extension, if that were to be the case, we would not be able to take advantage of the civil liberty safeguards that have been placed in the conference report, the additional provisions on protecting our ports, on addressing money laundering by terrorists, protection of our railways and mass transit systems, fighting methamphetamine abuse. The PATRIOT Act represents a historic choice, a clear choice: Should we take a step forward or should we take a step backward in keeping America safe? I object. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.”