Vote number 11-SV019 extending the PATRIOT Act's roving wiretaps
on Feb 17, 2011 regarding bill H.514 FISA Sunsets Extension Act
Results: Passed 86-12

Congressional Summary: A bill to extend expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 and Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 relating to access to business records, individual terrorists as agents of foreign powers, and roving wiretaps until December 8, 2011.

Proponent's Argument for voting Yes:
[Rep. Smith, R-TX]: America is safe today not because terrorists and spies have given up their goal to destroy our freedoms and our way of life. We are safe today because the men and women of our Armed Forces, our intelligence community, and our law enforcement agencies work every single day to protect us. And Congress must ensure that they are equipped with the resources they need to counteract continuing terrorist threats. On Feb. 28, three important provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act will expire. These provisions give investigators in national security cases the authority to conduct "roving" wiretaps, to seek certain business records, and to gather intelligence on lone terrorists who are not affiliated with a known terrorist group. The Patriot Act works. It has proved effective in preventing terrorist attacks and protecting Americans. To let these provisions expire would leave every American less safe.

Opponent's Argument for voting No:
[Rep. Conyers, D-MI]: Section 215 of the Patriot Act allows a secret FISA court to authorize our government to collect business records or anything else, requiring that a person or business produce virtually any type record. We didn't think that that was right then. We don't think it's right now. This provision is contrary to traditional notions of search and seizure which require the government to show reasonable suspicion or probable cause before undertaking an investigation that infringes upon a person's privacy. And so I urge a "no" vote on the extension of these expiring provisions.

Categorized under Homeland Security

Voting NO counts for 2 points on VoteMatch question 14:
Patriot Act harms civil liberties;
Voting YES counts for -2 points on VoteMatch question 14.

Voting YES counts as answer B on AmericansElect question 9;
Voting NO counts as answer C on AmericansElect question 9

• A: To make this country great, we should return to the examples and values of our forefathers
• B: This country is already great, we shouldn't change a thing
• C: To make this country great, we should keep building and adapting for the future