STATEMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL ALBERTO R. GONZALES ON THE SENATE’S REFUSAL TO ALLOW A VOTE ON THE USA PATRIOT ACT:

The following press release was published by the US Department of Justice on Dec. 16, 2005. It is reproduced in full below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2005 WWW.USDOJ.GOV AG (202) 514-2007 TDD (202) 514-1888 "These provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act are essential to our efforts in the war on terrorism and their loss will damage our ability to prevent terrorist attacks. Our Nation cannot afford to let these important counterterrorism tools lapse. The House of Representatives has already acted, through a bipartisan vote that renewed the PATRIOT Act's sunsetted provisions while strengthening the Act's significant civil liberties protections. After 23 congressional hearings, testimony from more than 60 different witnesses, and months of deliberations, it is now time for the Senate to act. National security should not be compromised with procedural delaying tactics. The PATRIOT Act has clear bipartisan majority support, and the Senate should be allowed to vote up or down on the conference report. The American people deserve no less." 05-678

Source: US Department of Justice