Patriot Act hijacked by White House

UPDATE: Bloomberg reports there may not be enough votes to pass the new version. All the more reason to keep the pressure on. Feingold is one of a bipartisan group of Senators who say they will try to block passage unless changes are made.

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The so-called compromise on the Patriot Act, reached last night, is a blow to those who hoped the renewal of the act could at least fix some of the worst things in the original version.

Basically, the conference committee caved in to the White House.

Sen. Russ Feingold, who fought in the Senate to win some improvements in the bill, said he will oppose the conference committee report:

“In July, members on both sides of the aisle in the Senate unanimously agreed that changes needed to be made to the PATRIOT Act and passed a bill that took important steps to protect Americans’ rights and freedoms. Unfortunately... the conference committee [has rejected] that bipartisan consensus.

In 2001, I was alone in the Senate in opposing the Patriot Act. But for the past several years, a bipartisan coalition has been working together to seek modifications. I agreed to support the Senate version of the reauthorization bill even though it did not go nearly as far as the SAFE Act. I cannot stand by while the conference committee undermines the modest protections for our rights and freedoms contained in the Senate bill. The American people deserve better.

Working with my colleagues, I will consider all procedural options at my disposal to fight a final reauthorization bill that doesn’t fix the Patriot Act.”

The Washington Post:

Republicans and Democrats said the agreement is a victory for[Rep. F. James] Sensenbrenner, who defended the expanded government powers enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Civil libertarians and liberal Democrats lamented the deal as another blow to individual rights. And three Democratic senators and three GOP senators declared the agreement unacceptable last night.

"Is Congress standing up to the president? No, not on this one," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.), a House Judiciary Committee Democrat.

Votes could come very soon, even this week. Opponents are mobilizing and asking for calls to members of Congress to urge them to oppose the new version. More info from ACLU.