WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul blocked attempts to extend the USA PATRIOT Act without amendments or debate on important reforms. Below is a copy of Sen. Paul’s video of his floor speech.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S OPPOSITION TO THE USA PATRIOT ACT

TRANSCRIPT

Reserving the right to object, we have entered into a momentous debate. This is a debate about whether or not a warrant with a single name of a single company can be used to collect all the records, all of the phone records of all of the people in our country with a single warrant. Our forefathers would be aghast.

One of the things they despised was general warrants. This is a debate that should be had, and the reason I am objecting is because I’ve made a very simple request, to have amendments, to have them voted on, and to have a guarantee that they’re voted on.

I started out the day with a request for six amendments; I’m willing to compromise to having two amendments at a simple majority vote. I think that’s a very reasonable position, and if we can’t have that and we can’t have an extensive debate over something we’ve had four years to prepare for, I will object, and I do. I object.

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