For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 16, 2005

President Calls on U.S. Senate to End Filibuster of the Patriot Act

The Patriot Act has protected American liberty and saved American lives since the law's passage after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Today, a minority of Senators filibustered to block the Senate from voting to re-authorize key provisions of the Act. These Senators need to understand that the Patriot Act expires in 15 days, but the terrorist threat to America will not expire on that schedule. The terrorists want to attack America again and kill the innocent and inflict even greater damage than they did on September 11th -- and the Congress has a responsibility not to take away this vital tool that law enforcement and intelligence officials have used to protect the American people. The Senators who are filibustering the Patriot Act must stop their delaying tactics so that we are not without this critical law for even a single moment.

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