Date Posted: Friday, February 10, 2006

Four Republican lawmakers withdrew their objections to the Patriot Act after revisions securing some civil liberty protections were made to the Act.

WASHINGTON, Feb 10 (MASNET & News Agencies) - Senate Republican lawmakers announced they had reached a deal with the White House over revisions to Patriot Act measures passed by Congress following the September 11, 2001, attacks.

The measures had been extended, as they faced expiration last year, and received a second five-week extension last week, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Lawmakers, who objected to what they perceived as a loss of civil liberty protections in the proposed revised bill, said they were now satisfied their concerns were addressed.

Senator John Sununu (R-NH), a leader in the talks with the White House, said no one disputes the importance of subpoena powers and other tools the government needs to pursue terrorist activities. "But we want to make sure they are balanced by basic protections for civil liberties."

While some Democrats were quick to portray the deal as failing to address civil liberties concerns adequately, several Republicans and Democrats who had earlier balked at renewing the law, gave their support now after the revisions had been accepted by the White House, reports Reuters news agency.

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, said the deal appeared to be "a step in the right direction."

With the agreement, supporters were close to the 60 votes needed to overcome another filibuster attempt, and it appeared that Democrats would not stand in the way of legislation that provides the government critical legal and investigative powers in the fight against terrorism, reports the Associated Press (AP).

"It is much less likely that a filibuster would be sustained under these circumstances," said Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, who is in the Democratic leadership and intends to vote for the new compromise, reports Reuters.

Judiciary Committee member Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) also said the bill had been substantially improved by the changes and she would vote for it, reports the AP.

"America's civil liberty protections are a model to the world," the Republican senators said in a statement Thursday announcing the deal, adding that the revised bill allows U.S. law enforcement "to investigate terrorists without sacrificing these rights".

Lawmakers had tried for weeks to reach agreement on improvements to the original legislation, which Congress passed just five weeks after the attacks on New York and Washington.

"White House nay-saying and partisanship have obstructed this from becoming the better bill that it should be and that is deeply regrettable," said Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, reports Reuters.

Senator Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat who led efforts for revisions, said the Republican proposal had only had "minor changes" that do "not address the major problems with the Patriot Act." He called the Republican-backed version a "one-sided 'deal"' and "unacceptable."

White House spokesman Scott McClellan countered that the agreement that has been reached "will continue to build upon the civil liberties protections that are in place but do so in a way that doesn't compromise our national security priorities within this legislation."

Automatic "sunset" provisions in the bill meant the Patriot Act, which expanded government search and surveillance powers, would have expired without new congressional action.

The revisions may clear the way for renewing the Patriot Act, which expanded law enforcement authorities' ability to conduct wiretaps and secret searches and share information.

Civil liberties experts have criticized the law for making it too easy for the government to obtain individuals' private records, including medical and library records, reports Reuters.

One change to the law accepted by Senate Republicans and the White House would allow individuals to challenge gag orders when they have been subpoenaed to produce sensitive information on library, medical, education or gun-related records.

Another change would clarify that traditional libraries would not be subjected to special subpoenas, which are not issued by judges, to gain records, the news agency reports.

But Democrats said the same provision made explicit that some libraries could be forced to turn over information, adding that existing law is vague on the subject, reports the AP.