Patriot Act Extension Passes on Second Try

Just a week after an attempt to renew portions of the Patriot Act failed in the House, a new effort has succeeded. Last week over two dozen Republicans, including some freshmen, voted against the provisions. This time, in a more procedural vote, it went through:

The measure passed Monday night on a vote of 275 to 144, two fewer than it received last week. But this time, no two-thirds super-majority was required for passage, only a simple majority. Twenty-seven Republicans joined most Democrats on Monday to vote "no," while 65 Democrats joined with most Republicans to support the measure.The bill would extend three key provisions of the counterterrorism surveillance law that are set to expire Feb. 28, unless Congress moves to reauthorize them.One of the provisions authorizes the FBI to continue using roving wiretaps on surveillance targets; the second allows the government to access "any tangible items," such as library records, in the course of surveillance; and the third is a "lone wolf" provision that allows for the surveillance of targets who are not connected to an identified terrorist group.

It's about time.

Please bookmark!