On the recordApril 26, 2012
I do rise in support of the rule. I think the number of amendments that they've made in order is consistent with Speaker Boehner's policy of running an open House. Unfortunately, one of those amendments that was not made in order is the Barton-Markey amendment on privacy. I am going to vote ``no'' on the underlying bill because it does not protect the privacy of the individual American citizen. We do have a real threat, a cyberthreat, in this country. This bill is an honest attempt to deal with that threat; but absent explicit privacy protection against individuals, to me, that is a greater threat to democracy and liberty than the cyberthreats that face America. So unless they pull the bill and they revise some of the privacy protections, I am going to ask for a ``no'' vote on the bill. But on the rule, I do think we should vote for the rule.
