Sensenbrenner Proposes to Make Patriot Act Permanent

The JS Online reports that House Judiciary Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner on Monday proposed making fully permanent the expanded law enforcement powers granted in the 2001 USA Patriot Act. According to the article:

Sensenbrenner’s proposal could be altered either by the 40-member panel or by the full House, where both liberals and conservatives have voiced objections to parts of the law. In fact, in an April interview, Sensenbrenner said he didn’t think there were enough GOP votes on his committee to make the act permanent in its entirety, and he expected some of the powers to continue to be subject to an expiration date. The only temporary power that would be restricted in the chairman’s bill is the “library provision,” which expanded the government’s ability to get personal records from businesses, libraries and other entities in the course of terrorism investigations.

Sensenbrenner is proposing, among other changes, to “clarify” that the provision is not aimed at information about U.S. citizens or legal residents, and the searches are subject to challenge and judicial review.