House GOP Rejects Requirement That Patriot Act Surveillances Be Conducted in Compliance With the Constitution
While most Democrats opposed the extension of the surveillance authorities—rejecting aggressive lobbying by the Obama administration and its allies in the House GOP leadership—overwhelming Republican support won approval of the legislation on a 275-144 vote. Thus, the supposedly Constitution-obsessed House has endorsed a measure that is widely seen—not just by Democrats and progressives but by Republicans and conservatives—as a constant threat to privacy protections outlined in the document's Fourth Amendment.
Raw Story: Senate votes for short-term extension of PATRIOT Act provisions