April 20, 1978
Page 10910
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, the adoption today of S. 1566 represents a landmark achievement in congressional efforts to strike a working balance between the legitimate need to collect national security intelligence and the individual rights of citizens in a democratic society.
Many Members of the Senate have worked for several years to bring about the passage of this important legislation. Particular credit is due to the untiring leadership and dedication of Senator KENNEDY and Senator BAYH representing the work of the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees. Their judgment and patience have prevailed over a long period of time and have advanced the protection of civil liberties for all Americans.
Many other Members, however, played vital roles in the development of these procedural safeguards including the late Senator Philip Hart of Michigan, Senator GAYLORD NELSON of Wisconsin, former Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr., Senator JAMES ABOUREZK of South Dakota, and former Senator John Tunney of California.
In a democratic society citizens must be ever vigilant to protect against government infringement of their liberties. As we have seen all too clearly in recent years, democracy is a fragile system which can be endangered as surely by citizen neglect as by government despotism.
Lord Acton's maxim that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" should serve as a constant warning against the common tendency of those who govern to justify the use of ignoble means to achieve noble objectives.
The means by which government officials seek to achieve objectives, whether it be the protection of the nation from foreign attack or the distribution of the Nation's wealth, will in the long run determine the success or failure of our experiment in self-government.
I applaud the work of the Senators who have brought forth this major victory for it is yet another affirmation of success this country has had in protecting the liberties of its citizens.