Senators tout safeguards in Patriot Act 'conference report'

The Patriot Act has received quite a bit of criticism of late, particularly after news that President Bush sanctioned secret wiretapping of US citizens without any type of warrants.

The President and Justice Department has been campaigning for politicians to renew the Patriot Act. In December, the Senate initiated a filibuster that has delayed a final vote on the bill for one month (with a February 3 expiration date).

According to a CNET article:

"Anticipating further discussion, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, the Wisconsin Republican who has led the House's Patriot Act reauthorization efforts, announced last week that he would begin 'highlighting many of the dozens of civil liberties protections contained in the conference report that are not contained in current law.' "

If you missed the conference report, check it out here. Also worth a read is the joint statement from the House and Senate about the conference report.

Categories: Patriot Act, Conference Report