Washington, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands) today voted to send the PATRIOT Act to the President's desk after the measure was delayed for several weeks in the Senate by a Democratic filibuster effort.  The bill passed today includes additional safeguards for civil liberties and will allow the renewal of the PATRIOT Act to be signed into law by the President ahead of its March 10th expiration.

 

The PATRIOT Act will continue to foster a more effective domestic War on Terror, and also includes key provisions to help fight the production and availability of methamphetamine which has skyrocketed in many rural communities in East Texas and throughout the United States.

 

"This bill allows the FBI, federal prosecutors, and others to continue to go after terrorists with the same tools they have used for decades to successfully fight organized crime and drug dealers.  The USA PATRIOT Act is a no-nonsense anti-terror provision that will protect America without needlessly encroaching on our civil liberties," said Brady. 

 

In recent years, methamphetamine production and abuse have exploded in the United States.  Meth "cookers" take household products and over-the-counter cold medication to create a highly addictive and destructive drug.  They target out of the way homes and buildings in rural communities to manufacture their drugs since the concoction is highly explosive and emits a very strong odor. 

 

"For rural communities throughout East Texas who have seen a surge in methamphetamine production, this bill aims to crack down on meth makers by making it tougher to access the ingredients used to "cook" meth and toughening federal penalties for methamphetamine traffickers and smugglers," said Brady.

 

Key Provisions in the USA PATRIOT Act:

 

Ø      Removes major legal barriers that prevented the law enforcement, intelligence, and national defense communities from coordinating their work;

Ø      Allows law enforcement to use surveillance against more terror-related activities and allows the authorization of nationwide search warrants;

Ø      Updates the law to reflect new technologies and new threats; and

Ø      Increases penalties for those who commit terrorist crimes and those who harbor terrorists.

 

The Methamphetamine Epidemic Elimination Act, included in the conference report on H.R. 3199, the USA PATRIOT and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2005, will do the following to reduce the supply of meth and punish meth producers, traffickers, and smugglers:

 

Ø      Restrict the sale of precursor drugs (common, over-the-counter medicines used in the production of meth);

Ø      Require exporters and importers to report on their traffic of precursor drugs to prevent diversion of these drugs to meth production; and

Ø      Toughen federal penalties for methamphetamine traffickers and smugglers as well as those who produce or deal meth in the presence of children.