U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on the Judiciary
F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., Chairman
_______________________________________
News Advisory
For immediate release
Contact: Jeff Lungren/Terry Shawn
202-225-2492
September 18, 2003
Sensenbrenner Statement on Justice Department’s Disclosure of Number of Times Library and Business Records Have Been Sought Under Section 215 of the USA-PATRIOT Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department has disclosed that it has sought business records, including library records, under section 215 of the USA-PATRIOT Act zero times. This information had been classified and the source of much speculation. House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-Wis.) released the following statement:
“I have long supported disclosing this information as helpful to the public without compromising our anti-terrorism efforts and applaud this decision by the Justice Department. I hope this disclosure will help refocus the public debate on the facts about the USA-PATRIOT Act and the larger war on terrorism. For too long, inflamed rhetoric, erroneous conspiracy theories, and misinformation has characterized much of the discussion about Section 215.
“Regardless of today’s disclosure, the House Judiciary Committee will continue aggressive oversight of the Justice Department and how it implements the USA-PATRIOT Act.”