December 14, 2005
JS-3049

Statement by Deputy Secretary Kimmitt on the
Vote to Reauthorize the USA PATRIOT Act

"The USA PATRIOT Act is crucial to protecting our homeland and keeping Americans safe from the terrorists and criminals whose mission is to destroy the freedoms we hold dear.

"Not only has the Act better equipped our law-enforcement officials to investigate and take legal action against terrorists, but the Act has also strengthened our defenses against those who seek to abuse the U.S. financial system to bankroll terrorists' deadly agendas.

"The PATRIOT Act is one of the most valuable weapons in our arsenal against groups that have pledged their alliance to terror, such as al Qaida and Hizbollah. The successes achieved under the PATRIOT Act – from breaking up terrorist cells operating in the United States to safeguarding the financial system from illicit money flows – have been essential to protecting America.

"We must always stay one step ahead of the terrorists; our vigilance in this fight, therefore, cannot waver. I strongly urge a bipartisan vote in Congress to reauthorize the USA PATRIOT Act," said Kimmitt.