Democrat Bollier confuses Patriot Act with trade policy in call with Kansas farmers
Kansas Democrat Barbara Bollier confused the Patriot Act, the sweeping national security legislation passed in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, with trade legislation during a Zoom call with Kansas farmers.
Joe Gierut, the spokesman for America Rising, a Republican-aligned super PAC, posted a video to Twitter Tuesday of Bollier struggling to answer a question about the Patriot Act during a September 28 call with members of the Kansas Farm Bureau.
The call took place two days before the Farm Bureau endorsed Bollier’s opponent in the U.S. Senate race, Republican Rep. Roger Marshall. The Star obtained a full video of the 50-minute conversation, which confirms the 90-second clip circulated by Gierut has not been altered.
Bollier, a state senator from Mission Hills and the Kansas Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, was asked for her position on the Patriot Act, the 2001 law passed under President George W. Bush that greatly expanded law enforcement’s powers of domestic surveillance as part of the War on Terrorism.
“I haven’t read it yet, Joanne,” Bollier said with an awkward laugh. “Specifically. Tell me what specifically you want to know about that.”
The questioner responded that her concern was with “the extraordinary powers that were given to the executive branch under that, perhaps they need to be reviewed.”
Bollier then interjected that she believed the questioner was asking about “the ability to impose tariffs, et cetera, unilaterally” and launched into a response about trade policy rather than government surveillance.
“I’m very, very opposed to that. It has to be reexamined. Must be. Because that just isn’t something that should happen unilaterally. I understand why it went into place when it did, but it has to be reevaluated and I don’t think one individual should have the ability to just pass something like that unilaterally,” Bollier said in the clip.
“That’s why we have a Senate and a House. And I would work very hard to change that. I forgot that’s what it was called. I apologize, but I do know about it.”
The Patriot Act has little to do with tariffs. The controversial law has been the subject of long-standing disputes regarding national security and the protection of civil liberties.
Congress passed reforms in 2015 when the Patriot Act was up for renewal, but much of the surveillance power established under the original law has remained.
Bollier’s spokeswoman, Alexandra De Luca, said the Johnson County state senator had misheard the question.
“This was a Zoom meeting with the Farm Bureau where Barbara was discussing ag issues. She misheard the question and thought she was getting asked about the Trade Authority Act, which is legislation requiring congressional oversight of trade agreements,” De Luca said in a statement.
Formally known as the Bicameral Congressional Trade Authority Act, it was introduced last year and co-sponsored by Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran.
It would amend a 1962 law that gave the president the power to impose tariffs based on the recommendation of the secretary of Commerce if there are national security concerns.
Trump used this power in 2018 to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum, which prompted congressional backlash. The 2019 bill would place new limits on this power and require the president to submit a proposed national security tariff to Congress.
As for the Patriot Act, De Luca said Bollier “supports giving the intelligence community the tools they need to keep our country safe. There are aspects of the law that can be improved to better protect Americans’ privacy, rights and freedoms.”
Bollier is seeking to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Pat Roberts, who chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee from 2003 to 2007.
The Democrat’s gaffe was quickly seized on by GOP operatives in Kansas after Gierut posted the clip.
“Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for recruiting the one Kansan who has never heard of the Patriot Act to run for the US Senate. Incredible job,” said C.J. Grover, spokesman for the Kansas Republican Party, in a text message.
Bollier is in a tight race with Marshall, according to internal polling from both sides, and both parties have plans to spend heavily in the GOP-leaning state during the final weeks before the November 3 election.
This story was originally published October 6, 2020 at 3:47 PM.
