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Vol. 73/No. 42      November 2, 2009

 
U.S. gov’t moves to renew
sections of Patriot Act
 
BY BEN JOYCE  
The bipartisan Senate Judiciary Committee approved measures October 8 that would renew three sections of the USA Patriot Act, a set of laws passed in 2001 that greatly expand police agencies’ ability to spy, search, and jail those deemed by the government to be a threat to “national security.” The sections to be renewed are set to expire at the end of the year. If their renewal is approved by the Senate they would be extended until 2013.

The Barack Obama administration has been pushing to renew these provisions of the Patriot Act. On September 22, Todd Hinnen, deputy assistant attorney general, told the House of Representatives Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee that the Obama administration recommended renewing the sections set to expire because they provide “important and effective investigative authorities.”

The three provisions expiring include one that allows police agencies to have roving wiretaps on multiple phones belonging to individuals who may or may not be considered to be “suspected terrorists.” Another provision allows the FBI to demand businesses turn over “any tangible things” on record that may be relevant to an investigation. The third gives federal police outfits the ability to conduct surveillance against any non-U.S. citizen they claim is involved in terrorism but may have no connection to any terrorist organization.

One week after the Senate committee approved the renewal legislation, the House of Representatives passed a bill granting the Department of Homeland Security a $44.1 billion budget for fiscal year 2010, an increase of 6.5 percent from the previous year. The bill will fund agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Coast Guard. The legislation also provides up to $800 million for physical and electronic fencing along the Mexican border.

The bill contains a measure to allow prisoners held at the infamous prison camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to stand trial in the United States. Prisoners would be allowed in the country only while they are being tried in U.S. courts.

The Obama administration has said it wants the prison camp closed by the year’s end, but little progress has been made in finding places suitable to Washington to relocate the prisoners. There are still some 220 prisoners in the facility.
 
 
Related articles:
Repeal the USA Patriot Act!  
 
 
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