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Congress Extends Patriot Act One MonthDespite vows from President Bush and the Republican leadership to oppose any short-term extension of the Patriot Act, 16 provisions of which are set to expire at the end of the year, the Senate voted December 21 to extend the law another six months. The move effectively killed a House-Senate compromise that would have made 14 of the provisions permanent and extend the other two—including Section 215, which facilitates FBI access to business and library records, for seven years—the December 22 Los Angeles Times reported. The Senate action was then forwarded to the House for passage. [Late-breaking update: However, the Associated Press reported late December 22 that the House voted to extend the Patriot Act only one month, after Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) refused to agree to the Senate’s longer term. The House then referred its decision back to the Senate. The Senate approved the one-month extension in a session that lasted only four minutes at the end of the day, as only Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) was present. Congress can pass legislation with only a few lawmakers present if no members of the House or Senate object. The measure now goes to President Bush, who is expected to accept the February 3 expiration date for the Patriot Act, even though he had objected to any extension earlier.] Senators from both parties balked on the House-Senate compromise measure after the House approved it December 14, and launched a filibuster that lasted from December 16 through a long session on the 21st. President Bush called the filibuster “inexcusable,” adding that failure to renew the act would encourage terrorists. “There is an enemy that lurks, a dangerous group of people that want to do harm to the American people,” he said December 21, “and we must have the tools necessary to protect the American people.” A break in the Senate impasse began early December 21 when 52 senators—eight Republicans and 44 Democrats—signed a letter in support of a three-month extension of the law to ensure more time to guarantee that civil-liberty safeguards are included in the provisions. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), who as late as December 20 insisted he would not agree to a temporary extension of the act, changed his mind the next day when opponents agreed to a six-month extension. He said he had decided he would not “let the Patriot Act die.” “The White House . . . couldn’t break the filibuster, couldn’t break the bipartisan group,” Sen Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.), said in the Times. “It was only the president, the White House, and Attorney General Gonzales who wanted to play that game of chicken—and they lost that game.” The Senate’s preferred version of Section 215, which would require investigators to demonstrate to a judge that library or business records are relevant to a terror investigation, will now have another chance for approval by next summer. American Library Association Washington Office Executive Director Emily Sheketoff told American Libraries, “I believe very strongly that recent revelations on domestic spying and the evidence that the administration is completely ignoring the law is what emboldened the Senate to stand as firm as it did.” Sheketoff credited four “very brave Republicans”—John Sununu (R-N.H.), Larry Craig (R-Idaho), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Chuck Hagel (R-Nebr.)—who worked with Democrats to try to moderate some aspects of the Patriot Act. Posted December 22, 2005. |
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