House votes to extend Act

Yesterday the House voted to extend the Act to allow time for the Congress and Senate to hammer out a deal. Later today, the Senate is expected to vote to extend the provisions until March 10. UPDATE: NPR carried this story too.

Reported in a number of news outlets yesterday, Senators who blocked the renewal of the Act in December are concerned with privacy and civil liberty issues:

Sensenbrenner said amendments approved in the House in December would add 27 new safeguards against potential abuse.

Democrats, however, said the issue wasn't whether to extend the Patriot Act, but how best to strengthen it without compromising constitutional rights.

"None of us want to be hit again," said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas). "But we do want to protect our civil liberties." (source)

This is putting all that stuff you learned in your government high school class into action.