U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

December 21, 2005

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Press Secretary

                        202-228-3630

Jen Clanahan – Deputy Press Secretary

                        303-455-7600


 Sen. Salazar Lauds Senate for Putting Troops Before Special Interests & Celebrates PATRIOT Act Extension Victory s

Washington, D.C. – The Senate tonight passed continued funding for our men and women in uniform in the DoD Appropriations and Authorization Bills. The Senate also passed a six-month extension of the PATRIOT Act to allow time to negotiate constitutional protections for Americans. Senator Salazar’s statement on tonight’s Senate action is included below:

“We have passed a Defense Appropriations bill to fund the needs of our troops around the world, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a Defense Authorization bill providing for programs vital to America’s national security. I am pleased that the needs of our men and women in uniform outweighed the needs of unrelated and controversial special interest projects today in the Senate.

“We have also extended the PATRIOT Act for an additional six months to ensure that American law enforcement can protect the homeland while at the same time providing Congress the opportunity to better secure the constitutional freedoms of Americans. I look forward to working in a bipartisan fashion to develop a bill which ensures civil liberties protections while providing law enforcement with the complete extension of the tools they need to keep us safe.

“As I conclude my last evening in the United States Senate for 2005, I am proud to have assisted in the negotiations that allowed the Senate to act on these matters and bring them to resolution.”

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