Feingold on Patriot Act Renewal

Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI), the Democratic stalwart who has stood steadfastly against the USA Patriot Act – he was the only Senator to vote against it to begin with – issued the following statement last night on President Bush signing the latest version into law:

“Today marks, sadly, a missed opportunity to protect both the national security needs of this country and the rights and freedoms of its citizens. As the President signs this deeply flawed Patriot Act reauthorization into law, I will redouble my efforts to bring back the safeguards that the entire Senate agreed to last summer and enact the further safeguards contained in the bipartisan SAFE Act. This effort is already underway with Senator Specter’s introduction of a bill based on the amendments I was prohibited from offering during Senate debate on the Patriot Act last week.

“Over the past four years, we have seen a remarkable national grassroots effort to fix the Patriot Act, and I will continue to support that effort as we work to defeat terrorists while also preserving the freedom and liberty that define us as a nation.”

We thank Senator Feingold for his ongoing efforts.