Lamar Smith: “Next September 11 will mark the 10-year anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on the U.S. in history. America is…”

“Next September 11 will mark the 10-year anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on the U.S. in history. America is fortunate not to have suffered another attack of such magnitude in the past decade, but we must not take this relative security for granted or let our safety become complacency. America is safe today not because terrorists and spies have given up their goal to destroy our freedoms and our way of life. We are safe today because the men and women of our Armed Forces, our intelligence community, and our law enforcement agencies work every single day to protect us. And Congress must ensure that they are equipped with the resources they need to counteract continuing terrorist threats. On February 28, three important provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act will expire. These provisions give investigators in national security cases the authority to conduct 'roving' wiretaps, to seek certain business records, and to gather intelligence on lone terrorists who are not affiliated with a known terrorist group. It is common sense to give our national security investigators the same tools to fight terrorists that our police officers have to combat crime.”