Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the motion to instruct. This bill makes permanent the most dangerous and intrusive provisions of the PATRIOT Act, 14 of the 16 previously sunsetted provisions. The remaining two sunsetting provisions are renewed for 10 years. Ten years is not a sunset. Ten years is quasi-permanent.
These provisions are particularly worrisome because they expand the… Read more »
Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time.
Mr. Chairman, the power of eminent domain should never be abused to take private property for the private benefit of another, and I agree with the concept of the bill, but it is very poorly drafted. It goes too far and not far enough.
It will permit many of the abuses and injustices of the past, while bankrupting State… Read more »
AMENDMENT NO. 2 OFFERED BY MR. NADLER
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment No. 2 printed in House Report 109-266 offered by Mr. Nadler:
Page 2, line 8, strike ``(a) In General.--''.
Page 2, strike line 16 and all that follows through line… Read more »
Mr. Speaker, the history of the 20th century aptly teaches us that when tyrants threaten genocide and mass murder, their words must be taken seriously because they have a tendency to do exactly what they said they would do.
When President Ahmadinejad of Iran threatened to destroy Israel, says Israel must be wiped off the map, he joined the fellow he defeated in the election, the… Read more »
Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, I oppose this bill because it will not reduce frivolous lawsuits, but will instead increase the cost of litigation at the State and Federal level, set back the fairness of civil rights litigation, and favor foreign corporate defendants at the expense of their domestic competitors. As a result of this misguided… Read more »
Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this legislation. I support increasing oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It is a worthwhile goal, one that the recent scandals at these institutions and on Wall Street illustrate is sorely needed. And I support the creation of a budget-neutral Affordable Housing Fund. Indeed, that this kind of program should be created, given the… Read more »
Madam Speaker, it is time for someone in the Bush administration to be held accountable for the leaking of the identity of a covert CIA operative. Washington Republicans are already attempting to minimize in advance the special prosecutor's findings. Anyone who does not believe leaking a CIA operative's identity is a serious breach of national security should listen to the words… Read more »
Mr. Chairman, this is a good bill. Particularly, I am a strong supporter of the section renewing the Violence Against Women Act, and a new program I've worked on, the Jessica Gonzales Victim Assistance Program, to better enforce protective orders. Today, together, we are making a big leap forward in protecting women who are victims.
For many years domestic violence has been… Read more »
Mr. Speaker, it seems that many Members of this House must really be dissatisfied with their jobs. Instead of being legislators, they seem to want to be Federal judges. Every Member, like every citizen, is entitled to express an opinion on any ruling by any court. That is what our system of government is about. What concerns me is that too many people here seem to think it is the job of… Read more »
Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Louisiana. This amendment betrays our core values by permitting, for the first time in the history of the Head Start program, religious discrimination in hiring. It allows taxpayer funds to be used in Head Start programs that discriminate against teachers and parent volunteers solely because… Read more »