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WYDEN OPPOSED PATRIOT ACT LEGISLATION IN INTEL
COMMITTEE, WILL SEEK FURTHER CHANGES
Senator says final product of Committee failed
to address his concerns
on balancing security, privacy, civil liberties
June 8, 2005
Washington, DC – U.S.
Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) opposed the Patriot Act legislation
that was completed in a closed hearing of the Senate Select Committee
on Intelligence yesterday, and says today that the bill as drafted
fails to meet his goal of preserving Americans’ privacy
and civil liberties while protecting the nation aggressively against
terrorism. On Monday, Wyden spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate
to detail his concerns, particularly with a proposal to grant
broad administrative subpoena power to the FBI. He also cited
concerns with the FBI’s use of roving wiretaps, and several
other controversial provisions set to sunset at the end of this
year. In his speech, Wyden proposed an alternative to administrative
subpoena power that would give the FBI the flexibility it needs
to conduct investigations while offering more protection for Americans’
privacy.
“I do not believe the
Intelligence Committee – working in secret – has struck
the proper balance between protecting the nation and preserving
liberty, and I will work on the Senate floor to improve this legislation,”
said Wyden. “Instead of granting the FBI unnecessarily broad
subpoena power, sensible solutions like an emergency-use provision
on warrants should be included as the bill moves forward. Americans
want the Patriot Act to provide protection from terrorism, not
a laundry list of loopholes that expose them to abuses of investigative
power.”
In his Monday floor speech,
Wyden said existing Patriot Act provisions such as Section 215
– known as the “library records” provision but
which actually provide access to all kinds of business records
pertaining to every American – should be subject to closer
scrutiny and should still be subject to a sunset in the renewed
Patriot Act, giving Congress a chance to modify or cut off the
controversial powers if abuses are found. Wyden also included
the provision allowing for the use of National Security Letters
in his list of concerns
As a member of the Select Committee
on Intelligence, Wyden has sought to open to the hearings of the
committee to consider the Patriot Act’s renewal. Last month
Wyden sent a letter to Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts
(R-Kans.) and Vice Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) calling
for the committee’s proceedings to be opened.
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