Carper Statement on Reauthorization of Patriot Act

WASHINGTON (March 2, 2006) – Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., today issued the following statement regarding the Senate passage of a new Patriot Act reauthorization. The bill, which passed on an 89-10 vote, must now pass the House before going to the president for his signature. Last fall, the Senate voted down a renewal of the Patriot Act after both Republicans and Democrats complained that it didn’t include strong enough protections for civil liberties. After weeks of negotiations, lawmakers compromised on new legislation that Carper said “struck the right balance” between protecting civil liberties and keeping America safe. “In a post 9-11 world, it’s a continuous struggle to find the right balance between safeguarding the liberties Americans hold dear and doing everything we can to stay one step ahead of the terrorists who want to do us harm. I believe this bill will give our nation’s law enforcement agencies the powers they need to fight terrorism, while also providing sensible safeguards to protect against the possible abuse of those powers.”