Key House Republican Balks at Patriot Act By JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer
6 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner threatened Thursday to block passage of legislation renewing the anti-terror Patriot Act, Republican officials disclosed.
The Senate passed a six-month extension Wednesday night, and House approval is required by Dec. 31 to keep in place the enhanced law enforcement powers first enacted in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Sensenbrenner's spokesman declined comment.
The Senate action effectively sidetracked a comprehensive House-Senate compromise that would have extended most of the existing law indefinitely, making several changes in the meantime. It was blocked by a Democrat-led filibuster in the Senate, in which critics claimed the legislation failed to protect the civil liberties of innocent Americans.
The maneuvering occurred as Bush left Washington believing that Congress would not let the law expire.
"It appears to me that the Congress understands we got to keep the Patriot Act in place, that we're still under threat," Bush said just before boarding a helicopter headed to Camp David, Md., for a long holiday weekend with his family.
The Republican officials demanded anonymity because Sensenbrenner had not revealed his intentions publicly. The Senate-passed six-month extension would pass the House only with no opposition. Any change to it would require a new Senate vote.
Sen. Russ Feingold (news, bio, voting record), D-Wis., who had led the Democratic fililbuster against permanently renewing most of the law's expiring provisions, said the six-month extension "will allow more time to finally agree on a bill that protects our rights and freedoms while preserving important tools for fighting terrorism."
Most of the Patriot Act — which expanded the government's surveillance and prosecutorial powers against suspected terrorists, their associates and financiers — 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 which 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, R-Tenn., 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."
Frist said he had not consulted with House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., yet on the six-month extension. Senior Republicans there have opposed any temporary extension of the current law, insisting that most of the expiring provisions should be renewed permanently, but it would be difficult for the House to reject a plan agreed to by the Senate and President Bush.
The six-month "extension ensures that the tools provided to law enforcement in terrorist investigations in the Patriot Act remain in effect while Congress works out the few differences that remain," said Sen. John Sununu (news, bio, voting record), R-N.H., one of a small group of Republicans who crossed party lines to block the Patriot Act legislation.
Republicans who had pushed for legislation that would make most of the expiring provisions permanent said the agreement only postpones the ongoing arguments over the Patriot Act for six months. "We'll be right back where we are right now," said a clearly frustrated Sen. Orrin Hatch (news, bio, voting record), R-Utah. |
