Senate moves forward with Patriot Act extension
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Tuesday evening that the Senate is moving forward with a vote to extend certain provisions of the Patriot Act, without any votes on amendments -- whether certain Republicans and Democrats like it or not.
"I'm not at the luxury of waiting for a better time," Reid said on the Senate floor. "We cannot let the Patriot Act expire. I have a responsibility to try to get this bill done as soon as possible." Certain provisions of the Patriot Act -- the controversial law passed after 9/11 that expanded the government's authority to conduct surveillance in the U.S. -- expire at midnight on Thursday if an extension isn't passed. Some Democrats and Republicans seized the looming vote as a chance to change the Patriot Act.
Stephen Lendman: Extending Key Patriot Act Provisions