Republicans agree to limits on Patriot Act
By Alan Elsner, Reuters, Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:39 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans beat a slight retreat on Wednesday on the USA Patriot Act, agreeing that some controversial provisions in the terrorism-fighting law should be authorized for a limited period rather than being made permanent.
Sixteen provisions of the 2001 law, hastily enacted in response to the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington, are due to expire at the end of this year unless renewed by Congress. President Bush has repeatedly called on lawmakers to make the entire law permanent.
The act allowed expanded surveillance of terror suspects and gave the government the ability to go to a secret court to seize the personal records of suspects from bookstores, libraries, businesses, hospitals and other organizations -- the so-called "library clause."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans beat a slight retreat on Wednesday on the USA Patriot Act, agreeing that some controversial provisions in the terrorism-fighting law should be authorized for a limited period rather than being made permanent.
Sixteen provisions of the 2001 law, hastily enacted in response to the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington, are due to expire at the end of this year unless renewed by Congress. President Bush has repeatedly called on lawmakers to make the entire law permanent.
The act allowed expanded surveillance of terror suspects and gave the government the ability to go to a secret court to seize the personal records of suspects from bookstores, libraries, businesses, hospitals and other organizations -- the so-called "library clause."
posted by Gordon Stables | 4:57 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home