March 8, 2006

Pryce Votes to Protect the Homeland

House Reauthorizes USA PATRIOT Act

WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-Upper Arlington) issued the following statement after today’s passage of S. 2271 - USA PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act of 2006. In addition to renewing a number of programs fighting terrorist infiltrations, the bill included language supported by Congresswoman Pryce to combat the proliferation of methamphetamine in communities across America.

“The USA PATRIOT Act has been a critically important tool for protecting the United States from terror, and its reauthorization will ensure that the law enforcement and security professionals on America’s front lines have the resources they need to effectively defend our homeland,” said Pryce. “The PATRIOT Act is a balanced, no-nonsense approach to fighting terror, and as a former judge and prosecutor, I understand the importance in equipping law enforcement with the investigatory and prosecutorial tools it needs to go after suspected terrorists and put them behind bars.”

“I was further pleased to see bipartisanship and cooperation prevail in both the House and Senate through this bill’s passage. The recent arrests in Toledo remind us the threat of terror is among us, and partisan differences and political one-upmanship should never interfere with the security of Americans. I am proud to have supported its passage and reauthorization.”

“Finally, the Patriot Act Reauthorization should be welcomed news to communities combating the proliferation of methamphetamines. The methamphetamine epidemic is not hype – it is a real threat to central Ohio, and the PATRIOT Act will crack down on meth producers, limit access to meth precursor ingredients, and authorize additional treatment programs for children endangered by methamphetamine traffickers.”

The USA PATRIOT Act, as reauthorized by S. 2271, contains provisions aimed at providing security and law enforcement personnel with the tools they need to successfully fight terror. Under the USA PATRIOT Act:

  • Major legal barriers that prevented the law enforcement, intelligence, and national defense communities from coordinating their work are removed;
  • Law enforcement are now allowed to conduct surveillance against more crimes of terror such as the use of chemical weapons and other weapons of mass destruction;
  • Investigations can now be conducted without tipping off terrorists;
  • A court may now authorize a nation-wide search warrant; and
  • Penalties for terrorist crimes are increased, as are the penalties for those found to have aided terrorists in their work.
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