Amid Terror Threat, Dems Chip Away At Patriot Act -- The Washington Examiner
You might not have heard, but some key parts of the nation's most important anti-terrorism law are set to expire in December. When the Patriot Act was originally passed in the days following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Congress put time limits on three of its most far-reaching provisions: "Roving wiretaps," which allow investigators to keep up with suspects who use dozens of cell phones to avoid being traced; "business records" authority, which lets investigators ask a special national-security court for access to records of a suspect's dealings with private businesses; and the "lone wolf" provision, which allows investigators to track individual terror suspects even if they are not a member of a terrorist group, like al Qaeda. Congress renewed those provisions in 2005 and now must give them another four-year renewal, or they will disappear.
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My Comment: I remembered when the Patriot Act was first enacted, both political parties were openly stating that this was a temporary measure. I guess the argument now is that this is not the time to change the provisions .... sigh .... politics as usual in Capital Hill.
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