The House has pulled from consideration today a "compromise" measure on the Patriot Act which was agreed upon by Senate Republican moderates and the House Judiciary Committee, RAW STORY has learned.
House aides say that Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has delayed a vote on the compromise measure. A vote on the Sununu provision -- named for Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) who negotiated the compromise, has been yanked from a floor vote in the House today. It has been rescheduled for Tuesday, a Senate aide said.
What happens now is unclear. The Senate is expected to approve the full Patriot Act conference report, which the House has already approved, and then will vote on the Sununu compromise.
The House could still back out of the measure. But aides seemed more optimistic after an initial scare that the House had dropped the measure indefinitely, meaning that if the Senate approved the Patriot Act conference report, the entire bill could go to President Bush for signature without any revisions.
Lawmakers were expected to pass the Sununu compromise in both chambers and the full Patriot Act conference report in the Senate today. Now the final vote -- and decision on the compromise -- will be delayed.
In the Senate, Republicans have prevented Democrats from adding additional civil liberties protections to the bill.
DEVELOPING....