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US Congress extends Patriot Act for one month
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-23 11:42
US Congress on Thursday approved a one-month extension of the Patriot Act and
sent it to President Bush in a pre-Christmas scramble to prevent many of its
anti-terrorism provisions from expiring Dec. 31.
The Senate, with only Sen. John Warner present, approved the Feb. 3
expiration date four hours after the House, with a nearly empty chamber, bowed
to Rep. James Sensenbrenner's refusal to agree to a six-month extension.
Congress can pass legislation with only a few lawmakers present as long as no
member of the House or Senate objects. The Senate session lasted four minutes.
Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the shorter
extension would force swifter Senate action and had the support of the White
House and Speaker Dennis Hastert. The Senate reconvenes Jan. 18 and the House
Jan. 26.
"A six-month extension, in my opinion, would have simply allowed the Senate
to duck the issue until the last week in June," the Wisconson Republican told
reporters.
Most Senate Democrats and a few libertarian-leaning Republicans united
against a House-Senate compromise that would have renewed several expiring
provisions permanently while extending some other for another four years.
Democrats were pleased with a short-term extension, whether for six months or
just a few weeks.
"The amount of time is less important than the good-faith effort that will be
needed in improving the Patriot Act to strike the right balance in respecting
Americans liberty and privacy, while protecting their security," said Sen.
Patrick Leahy, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.
"We're happy to agree to a shorter-term extension of the Patriot Act," said
Rebecca Kirszner, an aide to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. "The important
thing is to strike the right balance between liberty and security."
House passage marked the latest step in a stalemate that first pitted
Republicans against Democrats in the Senate, then turned into an intramural GOP
dispute.
Without action by Congress, several provisions enacted in the days following
the 2001 terror attacks would have expired. Bush has repeatedly urged Congress
not to let that happen.
The Senate voted Wednesday night to extend the provisions by six months, a
turnabout for GOP leaders who had long insisted they would accept nothing less
than a permanent renewal of the law. The House approved the measure earlier this
month, but a Democratic-led filibuster blocked passage in the Senate, with
critics arguing the bill would shortchange the civil liberties of innocent
Americans.
"No one should make the mistake of thinking that a shorter extension will
make it possible to jam the unacceptable conference report through the
Congress," said Sen. Russell Feingold, who led the Senate filibuster. "That bill
is dead and cannot be revived."
Bush carefully sidestepped the dispute that developed overnight between
Republicans in the House and Senate.
"It appears to me that Congress understands we've got to keep the Patriot Act
in place, that we're still under threat," Bush said before boarding a helicopter
for a trip to the presidential retreat at Camp David, Md.
Most of the Patriot Act 錕斤拷 which expanded the government's surveillance and
prosecutorial powers against suspected terrorists, their associates and
financiers 錕斤拷 was made permanent when Congress overwhelmingly passed it after the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington.
Making permanent the rest of the Patriot Act powers, like the roving wiretaps
that allow investigators to listen in on any telephone and tap any computer they
think a target might use, has been a priority of the administration and
Republican lawmakers.
Some civil liberties safeguards had been inserted into legislation for
renewing that law, but Senate Democrats and a small group of GOP senators
blocked it anyway, arguing that more safeguards were needed.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said he had no choice but to accept a
six-month extension in the face of a successful filibuster and the Patriot Act's
Dec. 31 expiration date. "I'm not going to let the Patriot Act die," Frist said.
Bush indicated that he would sign the extension. "The work of Congress on the
Patriot Act is not finished," Bush said. "The act will expire next summer, but
the terrorist threat to America will not expire on that schedule. I look forward
to continuing to work with Congress to reauthorize the Patriot Act."
Some Senate Republicans shared Sensenbrenner's dislike for the six-month
extension.
"We'll be right back where we are right now," said a clearly frustrated Sen.
Orrin Hatch.
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