Litigation

Extension of Patriot Act Provisions Sought

By Peter Hardin

The House of Representatives is preparing to vote on whether to extend  key provisions of the USA Patriot Act, the nation?s main counterterrorism law.

The bill would renew the government?s authority to spy on a ?lone wolf,? a non-U.S. citizen suspected of terrorism who may not belong to a known terrorist group; and it would extend provisions for roving wiretap court orders and for court orders to seize ?any tangible things? judged relevant to a terrorism probe.

These provisions are set to expire Feb. 28 unless Congress acts, according to a Washington Post article. In a recent letter, Attorney General Eric Holder and James Clapper, director of National Intelligence, wrote congressional leaders to seek reauthorization of the provisions through 2013. The House bill would extend them through Dec. 8.

The Patriot Act initially was passed in October 2001, following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. According to a New York Times article:

“The Patriot Act became a symbol of eroding civil liberties for those who believed that the expansion of government power had come at the expense of individual rights. As a result, extending its provisions as they periodically expire has often proved difficult.”

To learn more about the Patriot Act and controversy around it, check out Gavel Grab.

Full post as published by The Gavel on February 07, 2011 (boomark / email).