Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this horrible legislation. In all my years in Congress, this is easily one of the ugliest bills I have ever seen. I can't think of a more glaring example of pandering to the rich on the backs of the poor. It's no wonder the Republican leadership needed all the extra time to bring it to the floor. The cuts in this legislation will result… Read more »

Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) today demanded that the leaders of the PATRIOT Act conference committee not subvert the democratic process by ignoring unanimous votes in both the House and the Senate calling for four-year sunsets in the PATRIOT Act.  The Senate-passed version of bill called for four-year sunsets. The House-passed version called… Read more »

The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s Railroads Subcommittee held a hearing today on “Current Governance Issues at Amtrak.”  At the hearing, Congressman Jerrold Nadler condemned Amtrak’s Board of Directors as lacking relevant experience and bent on destruction of federally funded passenger rail service in America.  Nadler’s… Read more »

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 »

Congressman Jerrold Nadler released the following statement today in response to the firing of Amtrak President and CEO David Gunn: “The recent firing of David Gunn as President of Amtrak is an outrage.  The Amtrak Board of Directors has become a front for the Bush Administration and Amtrak opponents.  The firing of David Gunn is another backdoor attempt to dismantle… Read more »

The House of Representatives today agreed to sunset three controversial provisions of the PATRIOT Act after four years.  Hard-line House supporters of the President’s policies had previously insisted on implementing only two ten-year sunsets. “The House showed a desperately needed measure of common sense in agreeing to four-year sunsets today,” Congressman Nadler… 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 »

Congressman Jerrold Nadler today offered a critical amendment to correct a major flaw in H.R. 4128, the Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2005.  The bill attempts to limit government seizure of private land for economic development purposes – but in doing so, it would make it extraordinarily difficult for states and localities to secure financing for major projects.… Read more »

“The question now before the Committee is whether the CIA leak itself was part of an effort to cover up a broader conspiracy to mislead Congress into authorizing a war.” Congressman Jerrold Nadler today demanded the House Judiciary Committee investigate whether White House officials deliberately deceived Congress in order to obtain its authorization of the war in Iraq. In a… Read more »