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WYDEN TO OPPOSE PATRIOT ACT RENEWAL
Senator cites strong concerns over significant
privacy provisions,
lack of appropriate balance between national security and protecting
civil liberties
December 14, 2005
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator
Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today announced his intention to vote against
and support efforts to filibuster the conference report reauthorizing
the USA Patriot Act, citing concerns about numerous provisions
that could compromise Americans’ privacy rights that would
be made permanent under the legislation. Specifically, Wyden announced
his intention today to oppose the legislation because it does
not include sunsets for controversial powers and diminishes congressional
oversight over the government’s use of these powers.
“The current version of the report strikes the wrong balance
between security and civil liberties and leaves Congress with
inadequate oversight,” said Wyden. “Just as troubling
is the inclusion of new language that will make it much more difficult
for law-abiding Americans to defend themselves from possible Patriot
Act abuses. These unjustified changes do not make the Patriot
Act a more effective tool for fighting terrorism and in fact,
make it more susceptible to abuse. I will vote against the current
version of the legislation and support efforts to block its passage.”
Specifically, Wyden cited strong
concerns over a number of provisions contained in the conference
report that would significantly compromise the privacy rights
of law-abiding U.S. citizens. These specific provisions include:
• A provision that makes permanent
the ability of FBI agents to issue National Security Letters (NSL),
or documents issued without the approval of a judge or grand jury,
which allows the government to obtain sensitive personal information
about law-abiding U.S. citizens;
• A requirement that requires anyone who receives a NSL
to notify the FBI if s/he consults with an attorney and to identify
the attorney to the FBI, potentially resulting in a significant
blow to the right to counsel, something that exists nowhere else
in law;
• A provision to impose criminal penalties on a NSL recipient
who speaks out in violation of a NSL gag order, even if s/he believes
his rights have been violated;
• A measure that fails to require a roving wiretap includes
sufficient information to describe in detail the specific person
to be wiretapped.
While Wyden is an original co-sponsor
of the Combat Meth Act that was attached to conference report,
he expressed his disappointment that this legislation was attached
to the controversial PATRIOT Act.
“As a cosponsor of the combat
meth legislation, I am disappointed by the politicization of the
meth tragedy in this fashion,” said Wyden. “I will
continue to fight for the passage of the meth bill but not as
a part of this badly flawed legislation.”
Wyden has long been an advocate
of boosting national security interests while protecting civil
liberties. Earlier this fall, Wyden was successful in stripping
out of the Intelligence Authorization Bill of 2005 a provision
that would have permitted Pentagon intelligence officials to conduct
covert interviews of U.S. persons on American soil to assess them
as potential intelligence sources without disclosing their government
affiliation. In that legislation, Wyden also succeeded in modifying
a provision in the legislation that would permit the intelligence
community to request individuals’ personal information from
other government agencies.
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