Dear Dr. Graviss:
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about federal counterterrorism policy and the PATRIOT Act. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.
During my service in Congress, I have consistently sought to strike the right balance between preserving Constitutional liberties and granting intelligence and law enforcement agencies the tools they need to defend us. While we must act aggressively to ensure the safety of American citizens, we should not do so at the expense of the very rights and freedoms we are trying to protect. For example, judicial review is one of the most important protections that American citizens enjoy under the Constitution, and I have voted to ensure it applies during counterterrorism investigations.
Recently, several provisions of the PATRIOT came up for reauthorization. Although I ultimately voted to preserve the intelligence tools this law authorizes, I opposed the rushed way by which this legislation proceeded, offering little time for debate and no opportunities for amendments.
Please be assured that I will keep your views in mind as Congress continues to consider the PATRIOT Act and the proper response to terrorism.
I always appreciate hearing the views of constituents about issues facing Congress. Please feel free to contact my office if I can be of further assistance to you on this or any other matter of concern. I also hope you will find my website, carnahan.house.gov, a useful resource for keeping up with my work in Washington and the 3rd District of Missouri, and I welcome you to sign up for my e-newsletter at carnahan.house.gov/updates.
Sincerely,
Russ Carnahan
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