Patriot Act Watch: Extended Until February 3

President George W. Bush gestures at the top of the steps of Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House before departing for Camp David, December 22, 2005.

Reuters has Congress extends anti-terror act to February 3

The U.S. Congress on Thursday agreed to extend until February 3 key provisions of the anti-terrorism USA Patriot Act to allow more time for lawmakers to consider civil liberties protections for the law that was set to expire at the end of the month.

The measure goes to President George W. Bush who is expected to sign it despite his earlier objection to any temporary extension of expiring provisions and his insistence that Congress accept a compromise that would permanently renew the Patriot Act.

The Senate agreed to the short extension of the existing law even though it had approved a six-month extension on Wednesday. A key House of Representatives Republican objected to that timetable and insisted lawmakers be kept to a tight deadline.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin is pushing the Senate to accept a compromise negotiated between House and Senate leaders that would permanently renew the law. He blasted Democrats for leading the fight against Senate passage of that bill, forcing lawmakers to extend the current law that was to expire on December 31.

“It is imperative that the House-passed Patriot Act conference report be considered and passed by the Senate in a timely manner to ensure that our nation’s law enforcement and intelligence communities are provided the tools necessary to detect and defeat terrorist threats,” he said.

A senior administration official said Bush would sign the one-month extension of the act even though he had objected to any extension of current law and wanted Congress to accept the compromise.

The Senate Democrats will NOT be ready in 30 days because they have NOT yet decided to what they object.

What a fraud.

Flap handicaps some face saving compromise after the Congress reconvenes but if Flap were Bill Frist he would make the Senate Democrats pay for this game playing.

Stay tuned……

Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisc., speaks about the one-month extention of the Patriot Act during a press conference in the Capitol, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2005, in Washington. The House of Representatives passed a one-month extension of the Patriot Act on Thursday and sent it to the Senate for final action as the U.S. Congress scrambled to prevent expiration of anti-terror law enforcement provisions on Dec. 31.

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