Demonstrating that not all GOP politicians are power-mad rapists of civil liberties, James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis) says he’ll enforce sunsetting of USA PATRIOT Act provisions.
House Judiciary Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. said Thursday that he would fight any effort now to make permanent many of the expanded police powers enacted after the Sept. 11 attacks as part of the USA Patriot Act.
“That will be done over my dead body,” said Sensenbrenner in an interview.
The Menomonee Falls Republican also said it was “way premature” for Congress to consider a new package of anti-terrorism proposals being drafted by the Justice Department – a so-called “Patriot Act Two.”
Before that happens, he said, the “burden of proof” is on the Justice Department to prove the merits of what he called “Patriot Act One.”
Good show. Perhaps his Senatorial counterpart, Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), should listen. Or, if that doesn’t work, maybe just someone whispering in Hatch’s ear, “Clinton and Reno.”
(via InstaPundit)