(But POTUS said repeatedly that he'd veto such a bill.....we'll see if it passes the Congress what he'll do......rf)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10562008/ Deal reached to extend Patriot Act Agreement would reauthorize law for 6 months to negotiate safeguards BREAKING NEWS The Associated Press Updated: 9:38 p.m. ET Dec. 21, 2005 WASHINGTON - The Senate neared passage of a six-month extension of the USA Patriot Act Wednesday night, hoping to avoid the expiration of law enforcement powers deemed vital to the war on terror. It is unclear when the House would act on the bill. The agreement capped several days of backroom negotiation conducted against the backdrop of presidential attacks on critics of the legislation. The Patriot Act provisions will expire on Dec. 31 if the House and Senate do not act. The extension gives critics who successfully filibustered a House-Senate compromise that would have made most of the law permanent more time to seek civil liberty safeguards in the law. Democrats and their allies had originally asked for a three-month extension, and the Senate¹s Republican majority had offered a one-year extension. The final deal split the difference. ³For a lot of reasons, it made the most sense, given that there are significant differences that remain,² said GOP Sen. John Sununu of New Hampshire, one of a small group of Republicans who joined with Senate Democrats to filibuster a House-Senate compromise. ³I think this is a reasonable conclusion,² said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill¹s critics gained momentum Wednesday when they released a letter crafted by Sununu and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., showing they had 52 senators agreeing to support a three-month extension. ³This is the right thing to do for the country,² Schumer said after the deal had been announced. ³To let the Patriot Act lapse would have been a dereliction of duty.² President Bush, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Republican congressional leaders have lobbied fiercely to get the House-Senate compromise passed, and issued dire warnings of what would happen if the Patriot Act expires. © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. © 2005 MSNBC.com URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10562008/ You are a subscribed member of the infowarrior list. Visit www.infowarrior.org for list information or to unsubscribe. This message may be redistributed freely in its entirety. Any and all copyrights appearing in list messages are maintained by their respective owners.
