USA PATRIOT Act

The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, commonly called the USA PATRIOT Act, was set to expire on December 31st of this year. But late last night only a five week extension passed the House. On a unanimous vote in the Senate it passed there as well. Only one Senator was in the chamber at the time, Sen. Warner (R - Virginia). Under a Senate agreement, the PATRIOT Act would have been extended by six months. But House Judiciary Committee chairman James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R - Wisconsin, pictured here), in a surprise move, agreed to only a 5 week extension rejecting the six months that the Senate had previously passed.

Rep. Sensenbrenner said, "The security of the American people must not be held hostage to the partisan brinksmanship of a minority of obstructionist senators. There are no more negotiations. Either the conference report passes, or the entire legislative process starts from scratch."

Democrats wanted a three month extension, but GOP leaders said they will stand for nothing short of six months. The Democrats than, with support of some Repubicans, started to filibuster the PATRIOT Act and the Repubicans fell short of the 60 needed vote to overcome the filibuster. Later in the week, the Senate than agreed to the six month extention. If the GOP leaders would have agreed to three months at that time, it most likely would have than passed. But because of the partisan politics, and the all or nothing stance that the Republicans have so far taken, they are left with only one month.

So far, the get what they want stance that the Republicans have been winning on is running out as they have internal party arguments. The Republicans better start taking what they get (three months) or they will start getting the sort end of the stick (one month).