Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Chair, the government is not allowed to get your information without a warrant. They are not allowed to do it. Even if they buy it, they are not allowed to do it. That is all this thing says. It couldn't be more straightforward or simple. It shows respect for the Fourth Amendment and respect for Americans' privacy.

What we are saying is--and it has been said before by the ranking member and Ms. Jayapal and the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman), you can't do an end run. You can't do a work-around. You can't say, oh, we are allowed to get information we otherwise wouldn't be able to get because we are going to purchase it from a data broker.

No, you can't do that. That is all this says.

If it would otherwise require a warrant, you can't go buy it, you can't do a work-around.

It is a fundamental principle in our country. If the executive branch wants to get your stuff, wants to look at your information, they have to go to a separate and equal branch of government and get a probable cause warrant. They can't go around that and say, oh, we are purchasing it. This is public. They can't do it. It is plain and simple.

I commend the ranking member and the Democrats on the committee for their bipartisanship. Again, as the ranking member said, we very seldom have legislation that comes out unanimous like this.

But this committee, which is charged with more than any other committee in Congress with protecting Americans' civil liberties, their rights, the fundamental principles and liberties that make our country the best place ever, unanimously agreed this thing should pass. I thank them, and I thank Ms. Hageman for leading this debate on the floor today for the committee and for our team. I also want to thank, of course, the sponsor of the legislation, Mr. Davidson.

This is so simple.

Last week, we had a similar fight, a similar debate. Unfortunately, we lost 212-212. Let's hope we can win this one.

I think this makes so much sense, so much common sense. It is so consistent with how this great country has always operated. One branch of government doesn't get a side at all. We have separate and equal branches of government. If this branch wants information, the executive branch wants your information, they have got to go to a separate and equal branch and get a warrant. They can't go buy it from somebody else and be sneaky about it and avoid what the Constitution clearly mandates has to happen.

I urge a ``yes'' vote.

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