Patriot Act Watch: United States Senate Approves Renewal
Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., speaks as Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., left, and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., right, stand by following the passage of the revised Patriot Act, on Capitol Hill, Thursday, March 2, 2006, in Washington. By a vote of 89-to-ten, the Senate is sending a revised USA Patriot Act to the president for his signature.
ASSociated Press: Senate Approves Patriot Act Renewal
The Senate on Thursday gave its blessing to the renewal of the USA Patriot Act after adding new privacy protections designed to strike a better balance between civil liberties and the government’s power to root out terrorists.
The 89-10 vote marked a bright spot in President Bush’s troubled second term as his approval ratings dipped over the war in Iraq and his administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina. Renewing the act, Bush and congressional Republicans said, was key to preventing more terror attacks in the United States.
Bush applauded the Senate for overcoming “partisan attempts to block its passage.” The House was expected to approve the two-bill package next week and send it to the president, who would sign it before 16 provisions expire March 10.
And now what changes were made that were SO DAMN IMPORTANT?
• Give recipients of court-approved subpoenas for information in terrorist investigations the right to challenge a requirement that they refrain from telling anyone.
• Eliminate a requirement that an individual provide the FBI with the name of a lawyer consulted about a National Security Letter, which is a demand for records issued by investigators.
• Clarify that most libraries are not subject to demands in those letters for information about suspected terrorists.
And the bill was extended twice for these MAJOR privacy concerns?
It was partisan politics by the Senate Democrats that held up final passage. The lefties wanted to use the NSA Surveillance Program and the renewal of the Patriot Act for their own partisan advantage – to paint President Bush and the Republican Congress as violators of American privacy rights.
Of course, this is BULL.
When these NUTTERS from the LEFT could not find partisan advantage – spelled that there are actual terrorists that wish to attack America and we don’t want to take the blame – the majoriy acquiesced.
What a surprise!
So, now in today’s action fourteen of the Patriot Act’s sixteen temporary provisions were made permanent and the remaining two were extended for four years.
Also, the Combat Methamphetamine Act provisions incorporated in the Patriot Act were passed.
The bill will be signed by President Bush next week.
About damn time!
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Patriot Act Watch: Extended Until February 3
Patriot Act Watch: Playing Politics But Extended for Six Months
Combat Methamphetamine Act of 2005 Watch: Bill Dies with Patriot Act Extension