House Votes To Extend Patriot Act
 

AP


The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly late Thursday to extend the USA Patriot Act, America's main anti-terrorism tool, just hours after televisions beamed images of a new attack in London.

House Republicans generally cast the law as a valuable asset in the war on terror. Most Democrats echoed that support but said they were concerned the law could infringe civil liberties. Following nine hours of debate, the lawmakers approved the measure 257-171.

The bulk of the back-and-forth centered on language making permanent 14 of 16 provisions that were passed after the terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001 and initially intended to last only 4 years.

The bill also gave a 10-year extension to two provisions ? one allowing roving wiretaps and another allowing searches of library and medical records ? that triggered passionate arguments between Democrats and Republicans.

"This is no time to let our guard down, and no time to roll back good laws," Mr. Bush said.

The Patriot Act moved forward in the Senate as well, as the Judiciary Committee unanimously approved changes Thursday and sent the measure to the floor for a vote. The changes, agreed to after all-night negotiations, include a provision that requires law enforcement to report within seven days of a search warrant being granted whether there was enough evidence to justify the search.

The panel also deleted a provision requiring law enforcement agencies to report on wiretaps in a way they found onerous.

A competing bill also has been approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee, which would give the FBI expanded powers to subpoena records without the approval of a judge or grand jury. That ensures further Senate talks on the terrorism-fighting measure.

While civil libertarians have expressed concern about the original law, passed by Congress just 45 days after the Sept. 11 attacks, congressional and Justice Department advocates argue it has accelerated the pursuit and prosecution of suspected terrorists by breaking down barriers between law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., opening the debate, labeled the measure to extend the law a "collaborative effort to fine-tune our law enforcement needs."

The Judiciary Committee's top Democrat, Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, told C-Span, "I know of nobody who wants to kill the Patriot Act," but he said critics want to avoid excessive secrecy, curb racial profiling and ensure all of its elements are constitutional.

In particular, he said he opposed extending the existing four-year sunset clauses to 10 years for the two provisions in question, declaring, "Ten years is, in effect, no sunset at all."

Conyers took particular aim at Section 215, which allows searches of library and medical records if approved by a judge, saying, "I do not think we can go into this without allowing people to know that is being done."

Overall, the daylong debate was to include discussion of 20 amendments, but not one by Rep. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., that curbed library and bookstore searches and which received initial approval by the House in June. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, blasted GOP leaders, saying, "Why are you afraid to have another vote? Are you afraid you can't get your members to change their mind? Are you afraid of the democratic process in this, the people's house?"

House leaders sent an e-mail to their members urging them to protest by opposing a rule outlining the terms of the remainder of the day's debate.

The House undertook the debate as television screens around the Capitol showed images of London, where authorities were investigating small explosions at three Underground stations and a double-decker bus. The reports came two weeks to the day after larger London blasts that killed 56, including four suicide bombers.

Most Americans do not realize that access to library reading records has been around ever since computers entered that profession.

I worked, while on sabbatical a few years back (mid-1990s), in my hometown Public Library as their Maintenance Director.

The senior staff routinely check ALL reading lists of ALL who check out books. They do this to follow trends in reading habits, presumably so as to provide more books in the areas people read most (such as Novels).

However, what nobody has ever said is that they also have the ability to check exactly who is reading what, and they do so... I can testify to this because I have seen and heard them doing it.

So, what the Library Associations are NOT telling us, is that their members have been routinely checking our reading habits for many years. They can use that information any way they please, with zero oversight control by anyone other than themselves.

A Patriot Act was not needed so as to have access to those lists, in other words, but what the Act does do is to allow government the same rights that Librarians already have given themselves!

Seems reasonable to me...

How many of you realize that the "Patriot Act" is a violation of your Constitutional Rights? It is in direct contravention to the US Constitution. Are you willing to give up freedom for percieved safety? If so you deserve neither Freedom nor Safety.

You for the most part are veterans of some conflict where you fought for the Constitution not the Flag. The Oath that all of you took was to "Protect the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, Foreign or Domestic"

What's the matter.......short memories? Or lack of intestinal fortitude? Where are your cojones? Did you give them away?

I can only think of about three or four folks on this forum that I would care to serve in combat with. Bryce..you are one of them. The rest of you, I'd be sure, would run at the sound of the first shot.

David,

Why is it that you alllow this fugitive from a funny farm to continue his threats, insults, name calling and degrading behavior to continue around here?

He should be banned from this site and allowed no further privilege of posting with honorable military veterans.

His continual dishonoring and degrading fellow veterans combat service, war wounds and service to our country is nothing short of outright despicable behavior and he sholud pay the price of being banned forever because of it!