Caroline Fredrickson Power Quotations

Regardless of what happens with this agreement, Congress can, and must fix the Patriot Act to better protect the privacy and freedom of ordinary Americans. At the same time, until the Bush administration stops the illegal NSA program to spy on Americans and stops ignoring the rule of law, any reforms to the Patriot Act could be ignored under the extreme philosophy of power embraced by this president. No matter the result of the Patriot Act, we hope all senators involved in these negotiations will resist pressure from the administration. Congress must restore the rule of law and insist that innocent Americans' rights be protected against the overreaching of the White House. We can, and must, be both safe and free.

Lawmakers must not forget their oaths and disregard the administration's infringement of average Americans' constitutional rights. The White House has repeatedly admitted to the use of warrant-less wiretaps and has yet to be held accountable. Checks and balances on presidential power are essential to protect the rights of Americans.

The president cannot use the pursuit of national security as a carte blanche to undermine the very freedoms that define America. This administration - like that of President Nixon - has apparently secretly adopted a legal view of the Executive Branch's power that is unbounded. A commitment to the Constitution and our laws demand an independent investigation.

The executive power of our country is not an imperial power.

The executive power of our country is not an imperial power. The president has demonstrated a dangerous disregard for our Constitution and our laws with his authorization for this illegal program.

As Congress comes back to work out the differences in the House and Senate bills to reauthorize the Patriot Act, a commitment to freedom must prevail. The more we learn about the Patriot Act, the clearer it is that too much power was granted to the government, with too few safeguards against abuse. While neither reauthorization bill is perfect, we call on Congress to use the Senate bill as its guide as it reconsiders the Patriot Act.

This administration, like that of President Nixon, has apparently secretly adopted a legal view of the executive branch's power that is unbounded.

This tells us why they didn't want to tell us in the past how many of these they were actually using. The idea that this kind of power resides in the hands of so many people at the FBI with no court oversight is very troubling.