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Title: Senate Blocks Extension of Patriot Act
Source:
Associated Press
URL Source: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... /12/16/national/w093045S55.DTL
Published: Dec 16, 2005
Author: Associated Press
Post Date: 2005-12-16 12:48:01 by Brian S
Keywords: Extension, Patriot, Senate
Views: 110
Comments: 12
(12-16) 09:35 PST WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate on Friday rejected attempts to reauthorize several provisions of the USA Patriot Act as infringing too much on Americans' privacy, dealing a major defeat to President Bush and Republican leaders. In a crucial vote Friday morning as Congress raced toward adjournment, the bill's Senate supporters were not able to garner the 60 votes necessary to overcome a threatened filibuster by Sens. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and their allies. The final vote was 52-47 Bush, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and GOP congressional leaders had lobbied fiercely to make most of the expiring Patriot Act provisions permanent, and add new safeguards and expiration dates to the two most controversial parts: roving wiretaps and secret warrants for books, records and other items from businesses, hospitals and organizations such as libraries. Making most of the act's provisions permanent was a priority for both the Bush administration and Republican leaders on Capitol Hill before Congress adjourns for the year. The House on Wednesday passed a House-Senate compromise bill to renew the Act that supporters say added significant safeguards to the law. The failure to renew the provisions would be "interpreted by our enemies as somehow inviting or even enabling further terrorist attacks on U.S. soil," Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said. But the law's critics, such as Sens. Feingold and Craig, say they don't want the Patriot Act to expire — they just want enough time to improve the bill to the point where it doesn't infringe on American liberties. That idea was rejected by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R.-Tenn., and by the White House. "In the war on terror, we cannot afford to be without these vital tools for a single moment," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said earlier today before the Senate vote. Congress passed the Patriot Act overwhelmingly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The law expanded the government's surveillance and prosecutorial powers against suspected terrorists, their associates and financiers. The bill's opponents say the original act was rushed into law, and Congress should take more time now to make sure the rights of innocent Americans are safeguarded before making most of the expiring provisions permanent. They says the current Patriot Act gives government too much power to investigate people's private lives.
Poster Comment: Watching on CSPAN, Frist refuses to allow a vote on a 3 month extention and forcing the supporters of the filibuster to...filibuster. Shall be interesting on how this will turn out.
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
47 votes is very close to a majority. I'm very surprised the administration and Frist allowed it to come to this humiliating vote. After last night's NSA revelations, I assume the chances of extension of an ungutted Patriot Act have now been greatly reduced.
Yeah, that NSA expose' certainly was timed well.
Wow, I'm actually kind of surprised by this.
#2. To: aristeides (#1)
#3. To: Brian S (#0)
 | What's that Mr. Nipples? You want me to ask the nice lady about her rack?. |
#4. To: Brian S (#0)
Amazed!
#5. To: Zipporah, Uncle Bill, BTP Holdings, All (#0)
HOORAY!! Senate Blocks Patriot Act Legislation
Be loyal to your country always, and to the government only when it deserves it. ~Mark Twain
#6. To: All (#5)
Cat torturer and fraudulent insider stock trader looking for something to transfer his anger to.
Frist said he was not giving up and indicated that he would try to corral votes over the next two days before Congress adjourns for the holidays.
Be loyal to your country always, and to the government only when it deserves it. ~Mark Twain
#7. To: Brian S (#0)
Outstanding!
The craft was manned by a crew that had been frozen to death. The heating equipment of the ship had been destroyed and the unimaginable cold of outer space had done the rest. The result was instant death for the men who were the last of the Trigans, all that were left of a once-mighty civilization, pride of the planet Elekton.
#8. To: Brian S (#0)
Dumb struck.
#9. To: Brian S (#0)
"In the war on terror, we cannot afford to be without these vital tools for a single moment," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said earlier today before the Senate vote. We can see exactly who is in favor of tyranny and this facist corporatism we suffer under. I think Fitzgerald should try to find a way to indict McClellan for being a willing shill for these scumbags. Maybe he will still be linked to the Plame affair.
But the law's critics, such as Sens. Feingold and Craig, say they don't want the Patriot Act to expire — they just want enough time to improve the bill to the point where it doesn't infringe on American liberties. That idea was rejected by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R.-Tenn., and by the White House.
"The consolidation of the States into one vast empire, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of ruin which has overwhelmed all that preceded it." General Robert E. Lee
#10. To: Brian S, aristeides, Fred Mertz (#9)
Who has the link to the NSA expose? A story? Anything?
"The consolidation of the States into one vast empire, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of ruin which has overwhelmed all that preceded it." General Robert E. Lee
#11. To: BTP Holdings (#10)
Reports: Bush Authorized NSA to Spy in U.S. There's a link there to another thread too.
Be loyal to your country always, and to the government only when it deserves it. ~Mark Twain
#12. To: robin (#5)
I dont think Bush's comment about the Constitution being a 'godammed piece of paper'.. helped him any at all with his push for the PA.. Thank God this was blocked.. bet Bush and Gonzales are in fetal positions
HOORAY!! Senate Blocks Patriot Act Legislation
Click to see: Making a difference in Iraq
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