Connress ready to renew entire Patriot Act

NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/17/politics/17patriot.html?th&emc=th

Congress Nears Deal to Renew Antiterror Law

By ERIC LICHTBLAU
Published: November 17, 2005

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 - Congressional negotiators neared a final agreement Wednesday night on legislation that will extend and keep largely intact the sweeping antiterrorism powers granted to the federal government after the Sept. 11 attacks under the law known as the USA Patriot Act.

After months of vitriolic debate, the tentative agreement represents a significant and somewhat surprising victory for the Bush administration in maintaining the government's expanded powers to investigate, monitor and track terror suspects.

Negotiators met into the night Wednesday, with last-minute wrangling over several narrow points, and were expected to reach a final agreement by Thursday. Once negotiators sign the deal, it will require the final approval of the full House and Senate, which is likely to come this week.

But civil rights advocates and Democrats were already in full attack mode late Wednesday, calling the expected deal an "unacceptable" retreat from promised restrictions on the government's sweeping antiterrorism powers.

That's not a rhetorical question, either. As a party, they show their disdain for freedom and democracy daily. :grr:

And they're getting it slowly. It's sickening but they are one by one rolling back our freedoms and taking over our nation and turning us into a police state.

look at SCOTUS.

I was told that the Republicans likely did not have enough support to bring this to the floor for a vote before the break for Thanksgiving holiday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/16/AR2005111601047.html?referrer=email

Congress Arrives at A Deal on Patriot Act
Limits Would Spare Some Controversial Government Powers

By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 17, 2005; Page A01

House and Senate negotiators reached a tentative agreement yesterday on revisions to the USA Patriot Act that would limit some of the government's powers while requiring the Justice Department to provide a better accounting of its secret requests for information on ordinary citizens.

But the agreement would leave intact some of the most controversial provisions of the anti-terrorism law, such as government access to library and bookstore records in terrorism probes, and would extend only limited new rights to the targets of such searches.

For President Bush, renewal of the act would provide a boost as he looks to restore his image as a strong commander in chief in combating terrorism. And Democrats said yesterday that the administration largely got what it wanted -- a major break after lawmakers challenged the White House in recent days on the conduct of the Iraq war, budget policies and tax cuts.

The deal would make permanent 14 Patriot Act provisions that were set to expire at the end of the year. Three other measures -- including one allowing law enforcement agents access to bookstore and public library records -- would be extended for seven years, or three years longer than the Senate had agreed to. The House initially extended the provisions for 10 years but later voted to accept the Senate's four-year extension. Also extended for seven years is a provision allowing roving wiretaps that follow an individual who may use multiple means of communication, rather than targeting a single phone line. The agreement also extends for seven years a provision of a separate intelligence law passed last year that allows federal investigators to track an individual not connected to a foreign government but suspected of operating as a "lone wolf" terrorist.