Statement of Senator Russ Feingold on the PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Bill

October 8, 2009 -- “The PATRIOT Act reauthorization bill passed by the Judiciary Committee today falls far short of adequately protecting the rights of innocent Americans. Among the most significant problems is the failure to include an improved standard for Section 215 orders, even though a Republican controlled Judiciary Committee unanimously supported including the same standard in 2005.

"But what was most upsetting was the apparent willingness of too many members to defer completely to behind the scenes complaints from the FBI and the Justice Department, even though the administration has yet to take a public position on any of the improvements that I and other senators have proposed. We should, of course, carefully consider their perspective, but it is our job to write the law and to exercise independent judgment.

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"After all, it is not the Prosecutors’ Committee; it is the Judiciary Committee. And while I am left scratching my head trying to understand how a committee controlled by a wide Democratic margin could support the bill it approved today, I will continue to work with my colleagues to try to make improvements to this bill.”

Source: Senator Russ Feingold