Dear Mr. Anderson:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, commonly called the USA PATRIOT Act. I appreciate hearing from you on this important subject.
Following the attacks of September 11th, Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act, which provided law enforcement with numerous new capabilities, including greater investigative powers and stronger prosecution methods. Importantly, this legislation also contained a sunset clause that requires Congress to revisit the USA PATRIOT Act from time to time.
I have voted against subsequent versions of the USA PATRIOT Act, because they continued to give too much power to the Administration without meaningful judicial review. Most recently, in February 2011, I voted against extending three expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act. Despite my objections, Congress passed a three-month extension and will again take up the USA PATRIOT Act in May 2011. Rest assured, I will continue to scrutinize any efforts to expand on the USA PATRIOT Act and the Administration's use of the powers under this bill. While I am committed to giving our intelligence professionals the legitimate tools they need to make America more secure, we must remain vigilant to ensure that neither legislation nor the Administration's actions strip Americans of our fundamental liberties. Our country is a symbol of liberty and freedom because of the rights we guarantee to all citizens. If we limit those rights in an effort to improve our security, we lose far more than any terrorist could take from us.
Again, thank you for contacting me. As the 112th Congress moves forward, I will keep your views in mind.
Sincerely,
Patty Murray
United States Senator