Lawmakers race the clock to extend surveillance provisions

[The Straight Story]

Lawmakers race the clock to extend surveillance provisions

With less than three weeks to go and a congressional recess looming, key lawmakers and aides have been scrambling to find a legislative solution to prevent government surveillance and intelligence-gathering powers from expiring at the end of the month.

With national security shaping up to be a major issue this election cycle, Democrats are under intense pressure to reauthorize three expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

As of late Friday, Senate Democratic leaders were moving toward including a one-year extension of the provisions in their jobs bill, which was expected to be introduced this week.

The provisions set to expire give the government the ability to use roving wiretaps to monitor the communications of suspects; get special court orders forcing businesses to turn over evidence, and conduct surveillance on a so-called "lone wolf," or somebody who is not knowingly associated with terrorists.

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44554&oref=todaysnews

[wtbymark]

1. In other words...

they want to keep spying on whomever they want, regardless of who that person is, without any repercussions

[MadHound]

2. Change? I'm looking for some change here.

Guess not, the Democrats want to play with all these new extra-legal powers just as much as the 'Pugs wanted to.

[DJ13]

4. Heres our change

[ixion]

3. They should do the right thing and let them expire

but they probably won't. :argh:

[pscot]

6. They don't dare let these expire

The Republicons will say mean things about them, and we all know how hurtful that can be.

[FiveGoodMen]

5. Grayson, Kucinich, Feingold, Sanders, Franken, and maybe a few others should stay

Apart from a short list along those lines, I think we should vote against every motherfucker in DC.

The current crop is clearly irredeemable.

[OnyxCollie]

7. K&R. nt

[endless october]

8. rescind the patriot act.

enough is enough.