Senators Reach Agreement To Extend Patriot Act For Six Months

[Nbadan]

WASHINGTON - Senators on Wednesday agreed to extend the expiring provisions of the USA Patriot Act for six months to allow the bill’s critics to continue to seek additional civil liberty safeguards in the anti-terrorism law.

The deal, if passed by the GOP-controlled Senate, would still need to get the approval of the Republican-controlled House and President Bush, but it would keep the Patriot Act provisions from expiring on Dec. 31.

Republican and Democratic senators had been negotiating all day long to try and break an impasse over the anti-terrorism law passed after the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington. It is one of the last pieces of legislation still outstanding in the Senate, which is trying to wrap up its legislative year.

A House-Senate compromise extending 16 expiring provisions of the Patriot Act had been stuck in the Senate for the past week because of a Democratic-led filibuster. Opponents of that bill say they want more safeguards in the legislation, and have asked for more time to seek more civil liberty protections in the law.

MSNBC



To veto or not to veto, that is the question.

[Oh, Gee!!]

I guess King George just doesn't have the political clout some thought he had.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

why are dems in the seneate so ing stupid? Why not just kill this damn thing, no one actually likes the patriot act

[Oh, Gee!!]

I think there were some other provisions attached for hurrican relief and military spending. They'd come off as the party that killed Katrina relief if they took a hard-line stance.

[ChumpDumper]

It's ok, if the Patriot Act goes away the President has the right to do anything he wants without restriction.

"When the President does it, that means that it's not illegal."

[SA210]

I think they changed it to "The Dumbya Act"