Posted on 07/21/2005 7:36:07 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - The House voted Thursday to extend the USA Patriot Act, the nation's main anti-terrorism tool, just hours after televisions in the Capitol beamed images of a new attack in London.
As similar legislation worked its way through the Senate, House Republicans generally cast the law as a valuable asset in the war on terror. Most Democrats echoed that support but said they were concerned the law could allow citizens' civil liberties to be infringed.
After more than nine hours of debate, the House approved the measure 257-171. Forty-three Democrats joined 214 Republicans in voting to renew key provisions of the Patriot Act that were set to expire at the end of the year.
The bulk of the back-and-forth centered on language making permanent 14 of 16 provisions that had four-year sunset provisions under the original law, which Congress passed overwhelmingly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The bill also includes 10-year extensions to the two other provisions set to expire on Dec. 31, one allowing roving wiretaps and another allowing searches of library and medical records.
"While the Patriot Act and other anti-terrorism initiatives have helped avert additional attacks on our soil, the threat has not receded," said Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
Rep. John Conyers (news, bio, voting record) of Michigan, the top Democrat on the committee, said that while "I support the majority of the 166 provisions of the Patriot Act," the extensions could lessen accountability. "Ten years is not a sunset; 10 years is semi-permanent," he said.
President Bush hailed the vote.
"The Patriot Act is a key part of our efforts to combat terrorism and protect the American people, and the Congress needs to send me a bill soon that renews the act without weakening our ability to fight terror," Bush said in a statement released by the White House.
As the House debated the legislation, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved its own extension of the bill, though it included only four-year extensions for the roving wiretap and records search provisions.
A competing bill also has been approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee, which would give the FBI expanded powers to subpoena records without the approval of a judge or grand jury. That ensured further Senate talks on the terrorism-fighting measure. The House legislation will also have to be reconciled with whatever emerges from the Senate.
The House debate included frequent references to the attacks earlier in the day, two weeks after larger London blasts that killed 56, including four suicide bombers.
The roving wiretap provision, Section 206, allows investigators to obtain warrants to intercept a suspect's phone conversations or Internet traffic without limiting it to a specific phone or identifying the suspect. The records provision, Section 215, authorizes federal officials to obtain "tangible items" such as business, library and medical records.
Advocates argued that such powers already exist in criminal investigations so they should be expressly continued for terrorism investigations. They also cited safeguards in the bill, such as a requirement that a judge approve the records search.
One amendment, passed by a 402-26 vote, requires the FBI director to personally approve any request for library or bookstore records. Another successful amendment sets a 20-year jail term for an attack against a rail or mass-transit vehicle; a 30-year sentence if the vehicle carries nuclear material; and life imprisonment — with the possibility of the death penalty — if anyone is killed in such an attack.
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., a former FBI agent, recalled using such tools in gang and child molestation investigations.
"All we do in the Patriot Act is say, `Look, if we can go after child molesters sitting in the library and bombers who we need to sneak-and-peek on a warrant, we ought to be able to go after terrorists,'" he said.
Critics heralded the bulk of the existing law, but said the sunsets were wisely inserted amid the inflamed passions following the Sept. 11 attacks, and should be retained to assess the long-term impact of the law.
"Periodically revisiting the Patriot Act is a good thing," said Rep. Martin Meehan, D-Mass. "The Patriot Act was an effort to answer the most difficult question a democracy faces: How much freedom are we willing to give up to feel safe?"
Democrats were incensed after Republican leaders blocked consideration of an amendment that would have blocked the library searches. The House approved identical language last month in a test vote.
"If you don't like it, come up and speak against it," said Rep. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who sponsored the amendment. "But it has passed once and it would likely pass again."
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The House bill number is H.R. 3199.
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On the Net:
For bill text: http://thomas.loc.gov
I think we may never know how well The Patriot Act has helped protect us against more 9-lls.
Columns like the following helped me become a Patriot Act supporter.
http://www.therant.us/staff/guest/dipini/patriot_act_under_attack_from_left_and_right.htm
Apparently it's working. Does this bother you?
That was a bad typo, thanks for amking it clear that I meant to write.
In other words, wartime demands that we suspend our system of checks and balances and concentrate power in the executive branch. Exactly what our Founding Fathers envisioned.
You realize that saying such things automatically makes you an anti-American, terrorist sympathizer, right? At least that's what I've been called.
Indeed it does. The right side.
It makes Bush look good and they can't have that continue.
It's all a popularity contest for you partisan hacks isn't it? For conservatives Bush has never looked all that good and a push for this legislation isn't helping his image any.
It's only cool with those who are willing to trade liberty for perceived safety. "Give me liberty, or give me death" has no meaning anymore.
A little paranoid? What are you so afraid of? Unless you are engaging in illegal activities. What liberties exactly have you lost due to the P.A.? If you don't like being searched before flying, I suggest you drive. Flying is not a right. Library PCs are public, not private.
The left has always tried to undermine our nations security. The truth hurts.
What truth? You're upset that someone is standing up against an intrusive, unconstitutional bill passed under the guise of 'safety'? Personally I would like to thank each and every person that voted against it. I don't care what their reasons were, as I would probably disagree with most of them, but at least their votes counted instead of falling lockstep behind a monstrous bill
Spoken like a true patriot. Patrick Henry would be proud.
You will make a very fine serf.
Those latest bomb attempts in London couldn't have come at a better time.
It almost appears that the terrorists and the totalitarians are working hand in hand to steal our liberty.
Hear! Hear! Keep 'em coming!
Is it just coincidence? hmmmmm
I am happy you are pissed.
You say that as if there's a difference between the two. ;-)
You're right. I'm convinced. However, let's just go all the way and not have elections anymore. Or ban the Democratic Party from participating in them. The second would probably be better because we'd be more able to identify the traitors based on those who protest.
Let's do it right and not leave anything to chance. Your halfway measures are going to get us all killed and leave our grandchildren praying to Mecca five times a day. If we're going to have the Patriot Act, we had better make sure people like Hillary and Dick Durbin don't get to use them. After all, we can trust the Republicans.
I usually say as a litmus test, would I trust this tool in the hands of Hillary? The answer is, of course, unequivically NO.
Could a better methodology for addressing the terrorist problem be architected? You betcha. Will it happen? Nope. Runs counter to the bigger plan.
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