35 Quotes by Caroline Fredrickson

The board has an opportunity to show that it is not in the pocket of the president and is truly concerned with the liberty and privacy of the American people. Given the ever-growing expansion of the government's law enforcement powers, effective oversight is absolutely essential. We hope that the board will provide real oversight, and not simply the illusion.

The attorney general took an oath to uphold the Constitution and serve the American public - not to push the White House's agenda. In America, no one is above the law, not even the president. The attorney general has an obligation to investigate this gross violation of the law, and at the bare minimum, should be providing answers to Congress. Effective oversight cannot occur without the full facts.

The administration is claiming extraordinary presidential powers at the expense of civil liberties and is putting the president above the law.

Serious problems remain in the Patriot Act that require serious reforms.

Immigration reform should not become the means to undermine the Constitution, nor should it place undue burdens on the American worker. Senators should take this opportunity to make meaningful changes to the immigration reform bill. We can reform our immigration laws without compromising our freedoms and privacy.

In recent weeks the battle over reproductive rights has been at a fever pitch, but anti-choice members of Congress have yet to list prevention as a top priority. Instead, foes of reproductive rights have not supported bills to increase access to contraceptives. Instead, they continue to pour money into abstinence-only programs that discourage people from using contraceptives. This modest amendment would help prevent many unwanted pregnancies, and the Senate should adopt it.

The idea that immigration law is being used as a tool of censorship is unacceptable. By regulating speech at our borders, we are sending the wrong message to the world. We must not have a double standard regarding the freedom of speech and dissent. That is one of the strengths of our democracy.

The Constitution exists to protect rights, not undermine them.