Congress has a critical role to play in protecting the freedoms on which this country is based.  Below you will find some of the important civil liberties legislation I have introduced and cosponsored.

Sponsored Legislation

• The REAL ID Repeal and Identification Security Enhancement Act of 2009 (H.R. 3471) would repeal the driver's license requirements contained in the REAL ID Act, which essentially mandated the creation of a national identity card and forced a massive federal mandate on the states. This bill would repeal those provisions and reestablish the negotiated rulemaking process that was underway when REAL ID became law.  This process will bring together DHS, DOT, states, and experts in privacy, civil liberties, and constitutional rights to establish national standards that will protect both national security and the privacy of American citizens.
• The Citizen Participation Act (H.R. 4364) would combat "Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation," which use the court as a weapon to stifle participation in government and chill expression about matters of public interest.  This bill does not shut the courthouse door to those with valid claims, but instead provides an expedited process for filtering out suits designed to intimidate and harass citizens exercising their First Amendment rights.

 Cosponsored Legislation

• H.R. 104 would establish a National Commission on Presidential War Powers and Civil Liberties.  This bill would investigate the broad range of policies from the prior Administration that violated civil liberties, including unreviewable war powers, torture, extraordinary rendition, and domestic warrantless wiretapping.
• The Detainee Interrogation Recording Act (H.R. 2983) would require the recording of strategic intelligence interrogation conducted by the military.  This will extract the most information possible from detainees, while preventing the sorts of abuses we have seen in the prior Administration.
• The "USA PATRIOT Act Amendments (H.R. 3845) would address some of the most controversial parts of the USA PATRIOT Act, including roving wiretaps, Section 215 Orders, and the lone wolf surveillance provision.  It would also correct abuses of national security letters and other surveillance tools that have routinely violated the civil liberties and privacy of Americans.