| Senator
Feingold On The USA Patriot Act The post-September
11 2001, world is one with different threats and concerns.
Our law enforcement and intelligence agencies face difficult
challenges. But Congress must ensure that we do not give up
the essential American values of freedom, justice, and privacy
in the fight against terrorism.
As you may know, I was the only Senator to vote against the
USA Patriot Act in October 2001, and I have repeatedly questioned
the Administration's resistance to legitimate congressional
oversight of its implementation of the law. I will continue
to fight for modifications and improvements to the Patriot
Act to better protect our rights and freedoms.
Below is a timeline chronicling my efforts regarding the
USA Patriot Act.
March
21, 2007 - Senator Feingold's prepared remarks for a Senate
Judiciary Committee hearing on the misuse of Patriot Act powers.
Congress essentially granted the FBI a blank check to obtain
some very sensitive records about Americans, including people
not under any suspicion of wrong-doing, without judicial approval.
March
9, 2007 - Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold on the
Department of Justice Inspector General report on the USA
PATRIOT Act. "This report proves that 'trust us' doesn't
cut it when it comes to the government’s power to obtain Americans'
sensitive business records without a court order and without
any suspicion that they are tied to terrorism or espionage."
March 2, 2006
- Senator Feingold speaks out in opposition to final passage
of the Patriot Act reauthorization conference report because
it does not contain sufficiently strong civil liberties protections.
Feingold is one of ten Senators to vote against the conference
report. "We had a real chance to pass a bill that would
both reauthorize the tools to prevent terrorism and fix the
provisions that threaten the rights and freedoms of innocent
Americans. This conference report, even as amended by the
bill incorporating the White House deal that we passed yesterday,
falls well short of that goal."
March 1, 2006
- Senator Feingold speaks from the Senate floor on his opposition
to ending debate on the Patriot Act. In an attempt to delay
final passage of the flawed deal, Senator Feingold reads the
United States Constitution and resolutions
expressing concerns about the Patriot Act that have passed
in eight different states. "The PATRIOT Act has become
a rallying cry for those concerned about Government overreaching,
grabbing for more power than it needs, using a time of crisis
to justify changes in the law it otherwise could not hope
to see made." Feingold is one of four Senators to vote
against S. 2271, which makes minor changes to the conference
report, and one of fourteen Senators to vote to continue debate
on the Patriot Act conference report.
February
28, 2006 - From the floor of the U.S. Senate, Senator
Feingold speaks against the recent Patriot Act agreement and
urges his colleagues to vote against ending debate, both because
he has not been permitted to offer amendments and because
the underlying deal is flawed. "We should not end debate
on this bill, and we should not pass this bill. Doing so will
only help implement the deeply flawed deal that was struck
with the White House to reauthorize the Patriot Act without
enacting the core civil liberties protections for which so
many of us have fought." The Senate votes to end debate
on
S.2271, a bill that makes a few minor changes to the conference
report to implement the flawed deal with the White House,
by a vote of 69-30.
February 16, 2006
- Senator Feingold speaks once again from the Senate Floor
on his opposition to the recent Patriot Act agreement. He
also tries to offer amendments to improve the agreement but
is prevented from doing so because of a procedural maneuver
by the majority leader. "I oppose the sham legislative
process that the Senate is facing here. And I oppose the flawed
deal we are being asked to ratify." Senator Feingold
is one of only three Senators who votes against ending debate
on the motion to proceed to legislation to implement the deal.
February 15, 2006
- Senator Feingold spends the day on the Senate Floor ensuring
that the flawed deal to reauthorize the Patriot Act without
adequate civil liberties protections does not get through
the Senate quickly. Feingold states that the changes made
in the deal are merely "a fig leaf to allow those who
were fighting hard to improve the Act to now step down, claim
victory, and move on."
February 9, 2006
- Senator Feingold speaks out against a deal reached on the
Patriot Act between the White House and Senate Republicans.
"The few minor changes that the White House agreed to
do not address the major problems with the Patriot Act that
a bipartisan coalition has been trying to fix for the past
several years." Feingold vows to oppose any reauthorization
of the Patriot Act that does not include adequate protections
for the rights of innocent Americans.
February 3, 2006
- Senator Feingold votes against a five-week extension of
the Patriot Act. "I will strongly oppose, any deal to
reauthorize the Patriot Act that does not protect the rights
and freedoms of law-abiding Americans."
January 6, 2006 - Senator
Feingold joins a bipartisan group of senators in sending a
letter to Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate
Judiciary Committee, urging improvements to the PATRIOT Act
reauthorization conference report. “We still firmly believe
that modest but critical changes can and must be made to the
conference report to address the needs of law enforcement
and protect the civil liberties of law-abiding Americans.”
December 22, 2005
- The House of Representatives passes a five week extension
of the USA Patriot as opposed to the six month extension passed
by the Senate on December 21. Senator Feingold supports a
five week extension but warns critics that a shorter extension
will not make it easier to pass an unrevised bill through
Congress. Feingold calls the defeated conference report “dead
and cannot be revived.”
December 21, 2005
- Senator Feingold commends the United States Senate for negotiating
a six month extension in order to improve the reauthorization
of the USA Patriot Act. The extension requires the Senate
to take up the reauthorization of the Patriot Act within six
months and allows the Senate more time to come up with a bill
that both fights terrorism while protecting the rights and
freedoms of law-abiding Americans.
December 16, 2005
- The Senate votes to continue debate on reauthorization of
the Patriot Act. From the Senate floor, Senator Feingold speaks
out against the conference report. Senator Feingold, along
with a growing bipartisan group of Senators, wants to strengthen
civil liberties protections in the Patriot Act as part of
the reauthorization process. "This is not a partisan
issue. This is an American issue and a constitutional issue.
Now is the time to come together to give the government the
tools it needs to fight terrorism and protect the rights and
freedoms of innocent citizens."
December 14, 2005
- Senator Feingold speaks at length from the Senate floor
and vows not to support the conference report on the Patriot
Act reauthorization bill, which failed to adopt modest but
critical safeguards contained in the Senate version of the
bill.
December 8, 2005
- Senator Feingold and a bipartisan group of Senators criticize
the final Patriot Act conference report. The bill failed to
make several of the modest but significant changes that the
Senators suggested. The Senators pledge to oppose the legislation
in its current form.
November 18, 2005
- Senator Feingold hails the congressional leadership's decision
not to move forward with a flawed Patriot Act reauthorization
conference report over the pre-holiday weekend, and urges
conferees to make further changes to address the concerns
raised by a bipartisan group of Senators.
November 16, 2005
- In response to a disappointing draft reauthorization conference
report, Senator Feingold joins the SAFE Act original cosponsors
in urging the conference committee to include additional safeguards
in the final conference report. The Senators also explain
that without additional changes, they will work to prevent
the conference report from becoming law.
November 11, 2005 - Senator
Feingold joins a bipartisan group of Senators in asking the
Justice Department Inspector General to conduct a comprehensive
investigation of the use of the Patriot Act and asking the
Attorney General to declassify the number of National Security
Letters issued in recent years.
November 9, 2005 -
Senator Feingold and Senator John Sununu (R- NH) publish an
op-ed in the Boston Globe announcing that they will make every
effort - and, if necessary, use procedural options at their
disposal - to oppose a final reauthorization bill that strips
out the meaningful changes to the Patriot Act made by the
Senate bill.
October 25, 2005
- Senator Feingold, Senator Sununu (R-NH), and other Senators
hold a press conference urging the conference committee to
protect the civil liberties of all Americans by retaining
the meaningful changes to the Patriot Act made in the Senate
bill.
October 18, 2005
- Senator Feingold joins several colleagues in a letter to
the Senate Patriot Act conferees urging support for the Senate
version of the USA Patriot Act reauthorization bill.
July
29, 2005 - Senator Feingold speaks from the Senate Floor
in favor of S.
1389, the USA Patriot Act Improvement and Reauthorization
Act.
July 27, 2005
- Senator Feingold questions FBI Director Robert Mueller at
a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing about FBI investigative
powers, and seeks to ensure they are not used to intercept
the telephone and computer records of innocent people.
July 22, 2005
- Senator Feingold opposes the House of Representative's version
of the Patriot Act reauthorization, saying that "the
end result is still a far cry from what Congress owes the
American people - meaningful changes to the Patriot Act that
will protect innocent people from government surveillance."
July 21, 2005
- The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approves S.1389,
the USA Patriot Act Improvement and Reauthorization Act. Senator
Feingold supports the bill because it contains meaningful
changes to fix the most controversial provisions of the Patriot
Act.
July 18, 2005
- Senator Feingold sends a letter to the Attorney General
requesting additional information regarding the Justice Department's
use of the USA Patriot Act in cases that had recently been
cited by the President in a speech.
June 20, 2005
- In response to a report by the American Library Association
that federal, state and local investigators have obtained
library records nearly 200 times since 2001, Senator Feingold
continues to press the Administration for information regarding
Section 215 of the Patriot Act. "We need answers to basic
questions about how the Administration has used the Patriot
Act. The Administration's continued attempts to dodge congressional
oversight are a disservice to our constitutional system."
May 26, 2005
- Senator Feingold criticizes the Senate Intelligence committee's
decision to hold a closed-door review of the USA Patriot Act,
despite the request of several Senators for an open meeting.
"These important issues deserve sunlight and public dialogue,
not closed doors and secret meetings," states Senator
Feingold.
May 10, 2005
- Senator Feingold participates in a Senate Judiciary Committee
oversight hearing on the Patriot Act, and questions witnesses
about provisions related to roving wiretaps and administrative
subpoenas.
May 7, 2005
- Senator Feingold delivers a keynote address on the USA Patriot
Act at the ACLU of Florida's 40th Anniversary dinner.
April 20, 2005
- Senator Feingold attends a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
on material support to terrorism, noting that the provision
in the USA Patriot Act related to this issue was struck down
as unconstitutional. Senator Feingold urges his colleagues
to work together to address the problems with this statute,
instead of attempting to expand it further.
April 5, 2005
- Feingold joins fellow Senators Larry Craig (R-ID), Dick
Durbin (D-Il), John Sununu (R-NH), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK),
and Ken Salazar (D-CO) in reintroducing the Security and Freedom
Ensured (SAFE) Act. The SAFE Act would restrict certain secret
searches, and impose reasonable limits on the government's
ability to obtain personal records.
April 5, 2005
- During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the USA Patriot
Act, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for the first time
acknowledges flaws in the USA Patriot Act. "I hope we
can have the productive and honest dialogue on the controversial
provisions of the Patriot Act that has been missing for so
long," states Senator Feingold.
March 28, 2005 - Senator Feingold
sends a letter to the President's Assistant on Homeland Security
asking her to clarify her statement that the Patriot Act doesn't
mention library records. He notes that her remarks are extremely
misleading; the Patriot Act does not mention library records
explicitly, but only because the provision covers all business
records, including library records, medical records, bookseller
records, and many other types of records.
March 15, 2005
- Senator Feingold accepts the Henry W. Edgerton Civil Liberties
Award from the ACLU of the National Capital Region for his
lone vote against the USA Patriot Act.
February 8, 2005
- Senator Feingold reintroduces the Library, Bookseller and
Personal Records Privacy Act, the Reasonable Notice and Search
Act, and the Computer Trespass Clarification Act. Each of
these bills would fix portions of the USA Patriot Act that
Feingold criticized before he voted against the bill in October
2001.
January 6, 2005
- During the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination
of Judge Alberto Gonzales to be Attorney General of the United
States, Senator Feingold seeks clarification from the nominee
regarding statements he made about Section 215 of the USA
Patriot Act.
December 8, 2004
- Senator Feingold votes in favor of the conference report
for the National Intelligence Reform Act, but delivers a statement
on the floor outlining his concerns with certain provisions
of the bill.
September 22,
2004 - Senator Feingold speaks at the Judiciary Committee
hearing on
the SAFE Act. Feingold calls for a full and honest debate
about the controversial provisions in the USA Patriot Act.
"The SAFE Act would add sensible safeguards to protect
the privacy and civil liberties of Americans who have no connection
to terrorism," states Senator Feingold.
September 9, 2004
- Senator Feingold introduces the Computer Trespass Clarification
Act. This bill would modify Section 217 of the USA Patriot
Act to protect against invasions of privacy.
July 13, 2004
- Feingold dismisses the Justice Department's recent report
on the Patriot Act due to the failure to mention the provisions
that threaten civil liberties. "The administration continues
to avoid engaging in an open, honest dialogue about the specific
provisions that are losing credibility," he says.
April 7, 2004
- Senator Feingold speaks from the Senate floor in support
of the SAFE Act. Feingold applauds the bipartisan effort
to scrutinize provisions in the Patriot Act. "With passage
of the SAFE Act, we can reassure the American people that
we are working to protect their rights and liberties, as well
as their safety," he says.
October 22, 2003
- On the second anniversary of the USA Patriot Act, Senator
Feingold delivers a speech from the Senate floor regarding
the growing apprehension about certain provisions of the law,
noting that many Senators on both sides of the aisle have
come forward with concerns.
October
3, 2003 - Feingold introduces the Security and Freedom
Ensured (SAFE)
Act with fellow Senators Larry Craig (R-ID), Dick Durbin (D-IL),
Mike Crapo (R-ID), and John Sununu (R-NH). The SAFE Act would
restrict certain secret searches, and impose reasonable limits
on the government's ability to obtain personal records.
October
2, 2003 - Feingold introduces the Reasonable Search and
Seizure Act on the floor of the United States Senate. The
Reasonable
Search and Seizure Act addresses section 213 of the Patriot
Act, often referred to as the "sneak and peek provision."
Feingold's legislation would restrict this provision for use
only in extraordinary circumstances.
July
31, 2003 - Senator Feingold introduces the Libraries,
Bookseller, and Personal Records Privacy Act. This bill
will protect the privacy of citizens with no connection to
terrorism by circumscribing the ability of government to obtain
library, bookstore, medical, and financial records and other
sensitive materials under the Patriot Act, while still allowing
the FBI to follow up on legitimate terrorism leads.
June 6, 2003
- Feingold reacts to Attorney General Ashcroft's request for
expansion of powers under the USA Patriot Act. "Before requesting
even more power, the administration owes the American people
a full account and explanation of abuses," Feingold said.
April 24, 2002
- Senator Feingold speaks at a Free Expression Network press
conference on his concerns with the USA Patriot Act. Senator
Feingold notes that "the need for vigilance against the
excesses of unbridled governmental power is greater than ever
as the fight against terrorism continues."
December 4, 2001
- Senator Feingold chairs a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight
hearing on the Department of Justice, focusing on individuals
detained in connection with the investigation of the September
11, 2001 attacks. Senator Feingold speaks of the importance
of DOJ disclosing basic information on the status of detainees,
and questions witnesses on the implications of DOJ's plan
to question more than 5,000 young men from Arab and Muslim
countries.
October
25, 2001 - Senator Feingold speaks from the floor about
H.R.
3162, the USA Patriot Act. In particular, he notes his
opposition to provisions related to search and seizure, changes
to criminal procedure, the compelled disclosure of personal
records, and the government's power to detain immigrants indefinitely.
"We must examine every item that is proposed in response
to the events of September 11 to be sure we are not rewarding
these terrorists and weakening ourselves by giving up the
cherished freedoms that they seek to destroy."
October
11, 2001 - Senator Feingold votes against S.1510,
the Senate version of the USA Patriot Act. Feingold offers
three amendments that would have limited the use of roving
wiretaps under FISA, restricted the government's ability to
obtain certain personal records, and modified provisions related
to computer trespassing.
October
10, 2001 - Agreement is reached on debate on the Patriot
Act that will allow Senator Feingold to offer amendments.
October
9, 2001 - Senator Feingold objects to a unanimous consent
request in the Senate that would have limited floor debate
and prohibited amendments to the Patriot Act. Feingold insists
on the right to offer amendments.
October 3, 2001
- Senator Feingold, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's
Subcommittee on the Constitution, holds the sole hearing on
the anti-terrorism legislation proposed by the Department
of Justice, which would later become known as the USA Patriot
Act. |
