After Ron Paul’s speech, the motion to suspend the rules and pass the extension of three PATRIOT Act provisions failed by a vote of 277-148. Since they were attempting to pass it on the suspension calendar, the vote would have required two thirds (290 members) of the House to agree to it. Click here for the roll call vote to see how your representative voted.
This won’t be the last we’ve heard of the PATRIOT Act renewal in the House. The Campaign for Liberty is keeping a close eye on this issue; join their website for ongoing updates.
Transcript
House Member: Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased at this time to recognize the distinguished gentleman from Texas, Mr. Ron Paul, for three minutes.
Mr. Speaker: The gentleman from Texas.
Ron Paul: I thank the gentlemen. I ask unanimous consent to extend and revise my remarks. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill. I was opposed to the PATRIOT Act in 2001, and do not believe now that it’s a good idea to extend it. The 4th Amendment is rather clear, it says that we should be secure in our papers, our persons, our homes, and our effects. And that if warrants are to be issued, we have to do it with probably cause and describe in particular the places, the people and the things that we’re going to look at. And I think what has happened over the years has been that we have diluted the 4th Amendment. It was greatly diluted in 2001, but it started a lot earlier than that when the FISA law was originally written in 1978. That really introduced the notion that the 4th Amendment was relative and not absolute. And later on, it was further weakened in 1998 and then of course in 2001.
I think our reaction to the horrors of 9/11 – we can understand the concern and the fear that was developed – but I think the reaction took us in the wrong direction because the assumption was made, of course, that we weren’t spending enough money on surveillance. And even though then our intelligences agencies received $40 billion, they didn’t give us the right information. So now we’re spending $80 billion.
But it also looks like the conclusion was that the American people had too much privacy, and if we undermine the American people’s privacy, somehow or the another, we’re going to be safer. I think another thing that has come up lately has been that the purpose of government is to make us perfectly safe. Now it is good to be safe, but governments can’t make us safe. I question whether or not we have been made safer by the PATRIOT Act.
But let’s say a law makes us somewhat safer, is that a justification for the government to do anything they want? For instance, if you want to be perfectly safe from child abuse and wife beating, the government could put a camera in every one of our houses and our bedrooms and maybe there would be somebody made safer this way. But what would you be giving up?
So, perfect safety is not the purpose of government. What we want from government is to enforce the law and to protect our liberties. This, to me, has been especially since 9/11 a classical example of sacrificing liberty for safety and security. Now I didn’t invent those terms, they’ve been around for a long time and it’s easily justified. And I can understand it because I was here in 2001 when this came up and people become frightened. The American people want something done. But I think this is misdirected and it doesn’t serve our benefits.
So, I think this time we should really question why we’re extending this. We’re extending the three worst parts. Why were these sunsetted? Because people had concerns about them, they weren’t sure they were good pieces and maybe they were overkill and therefore they were saying, “We better reassess this”. So what have we done? We have already extended it twice and here we’re going to do it again with the intent, I think in a year, to reassess this. But this bill doesn’t make things worse, it doesn’t make anything better, but it does extend what I consider – and others consider – bad legislation. I ask for no vote on this legislation.
Mr. Speaker: The gentleman’s time has expired.
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great man
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great man
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Ron Paul should have been president, however I think he would have ended up like President Kennedy and brother for wanting to speak truth…RIP
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It started with NIXON!
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TOO LATE! Predator drones bombing children, USA Land of Cowards! Allowing a supreme court to “appoint” a president of the country. LAND OF COWARDS!
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In the beginning he didn’t even vote against it.
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Let me guess… They voted for?
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Go to Switzerland or Canada if you want to be safe. This is the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave. It will cease to be the home of the Free when we cease to be the home of the Brave.
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The Patriot Act may be faulty but it keeps terrorists from causing more damage by having strict security. It was terrorists that ruined our security by finding a loop hole to cause traumatic damage to America. So because of that we need a way to keep them from repeating the same action.
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“Dr.” Ron Paul: moronic Creationist, BILDERBERGER and Racist Wingnut
watch?v=wX1vnk7FAkY
watch?v=3pZWmcEjk9A
and
watch?v=6JyvkjSKMLw
AH! YOU SAY: “BUT, HE DIDN’T WRITE OR KNOW ABOUT IT!.”
I SAY TO YOU FOOLS:
“YOU EXPECT ME TO TAKE THAT ON FAITH?”
I’M AN ATHEIST, NOT A MORON.
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You aren’t in control of your freedom. Look north, we’re a lot more free than you.
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Ron Paul stood for us for so long. NOW we will stand for him. Everyone go to Tampa and let’s make this convention a convention the world will NEVER forget.
We owe it to this man. Put a wanted ad on a Craigslist Florida city and try and get accommodations for free.
In Tampa we will take the streets to show Ron Paul he is NOT alone!!!!!!
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Economic freedom? Guns rights? Free market? Europe is not known for any of these things.
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how dare you say that europe is MUCH more free than america and always has been, how are you the last country in control of your freedom? and you let bush throw it away 13 years ago
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Shame on us … We are the last country in the world that still is in control of our freedom. And look how we throw it away/
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Ron paul acts on his values, not on his own personal interests. A true gentleman!
Shame on you America.
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They take 2.5 days off every week so that “the gentleman’s time” can be “expired”.
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There are some things to be fearful of. Iran is not one of them.
The USA government? That is.
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You’re a complete fucking moron. He is completely right. Do you want me to redirect you to all the cases of people being arrested without a fair trial? The people who were considered terrorists even though the evidence points to them being just normal people? Of course not.. you’re too fucking stupid to read.
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You’re a complete fucking moron. He is completely right. Do you want me to redirect you to all the cases of people being arrested without a fair trial? The people who were considered terrorists even though the evidence points to them being just normal people? Of course not.. you’re too fucking stupid to read.
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“Those who sacrifice liberty for security, deserve neither and will lose both”
-Ben Franklin
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“Those who sacrifice liberty for security, deserve neither and will lose both”
-Ben Franklin
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So, you’re willing to sacrifice you’re 1st and 4th Amendment right for the false sense of security? We can investigate terrorist activities with the rule of law; we don’t have to give up our rights to do it.
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So, you’re willing to sacrifice you’re 1st and 4th Amendment right for the false sense of security? We can investigate terrorist activities with the rule of law; we don’t have to give up our rights to do it.
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R Paul is right on the mark.
Waken up Americans and listen to this guy.
FYI….I’m a Canadian and want your great country to not become a police state.
Ron Paul is right.
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He’s full of shit when it comes to this topic…He has good points, this isn’t one of them…He’s creating fear, just like the liberals.
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He’s full of shit when it comes to this topic…He has good points, this isn’t one of them…He’s creating fear, just like the liberals.
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america will change in november 2012 when ron paul WINS!
»crosslinked«
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Perhaps he should be president because he represents your interests to a large degree, but do not think of him as your leader! That is the problem, people give away their power to government. He represents you and the American people. Don’t let him be his own entity, of which you are a subject. You are the leader. Every American is the leader of their country.
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A lot of people think that America changed on 9-11-2001 but really America changed 10-26-2001 when America lost its title as “The home of the free”
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You Americans are LUCKY to have a man like this want to be the leader of your country. If he wanted to be prime minister of Canada, I would vote for him. Your so LUCKY to have the chance to vote for this man, but if you vote for anyone else, it’s your own undoing.
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NEW “Ron Paul 2012″ DVD now available for a dollar or two.
The OneDollarDVDProject (dotcom) needs activist patriots to distribute the message in the “Ron Paul 2012″ DVD. It can be previewed on the site, as well.
Please, ‘thumbs up” to keep this source at the top of “All Comments.”
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