Hinchey says he regrets signing USA Patriot Act By DAN HIGGINS Journal Staff
ITHACA -- U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-26th District, said he regrets voting for the USA Patriot Act, the series of laws enacted in November that broadened the U.S. government's powers to combat terrorism. Many, including hundreds of Tompkins County residents at two public forums this week, worried publicly that the legislation, adopted hastily after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, would have a chilling impact on civil liberties.
Hinchey, whose third term in the House of Representatives expires this year, was the featured speaker at a public forum Thursday night at the State Theater.
"I was surprised you supported the Patriot Act," said Rob Young, an Ithaca resident who said he was a Hinchey supporter.
"It was a mistake. I now wish I hadn't (voted for it)," Hinchey responded, to applause.
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