We Need the USA PATRIOT Act to Stop Terrorists
By Andrew Cochran
The House-Senate conference agreement on the USA PATRIOT Act is in big trouble this afternoon on Capitol Hill. Six Senators from both sides of the aisle are leading a charge against removal of some Senate-passed provisions, and a senior House aide working to pass the conference report tells me their effort is gathering steam. Former Congressman Bob Barr, who is anti-PATRIOT, says the conference report "It leaves people with impression of checks and balances when there are none," while Sen. Jeff Sessions, pro-PATRIOT, responds that, "We actually have more restrictions on terrorist investigators than on prosecutors and police all over America."
While I'm not opining on the merits and drawbacks of each section, I hope and pray that the filibuster threat is overcome quickly. Congress would send a signal to the terrorists of retreat and failure if it does not ensure that law enforcement can depend on a strong and effective PATRIOT Act before the end of this year, when 16 sections are due to expire. The Patriot Debates website, while not updated since this summer, remains the best site with balanced and reasonable arguments on both sides.
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