Patriot Act extension passes House, one week after unexpected defeat

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Washington Post:

The House approved Monday a measure that would extend key provisions of the Patriot Act through December. Their vote came less than a week after House Republicans suffered an embarrassing defeat when the same bill was brought up under fast-track rules and failed by seven votes.

The measure passed Monday night on a vote of 275 to 144, two fewer than it received last week. But this time, no two-thirds super-majority was required for passage, only a simple majority. Twenty-seven Republicans joined most Democrats on Monday to vote "no," while 65 Democrats joined with most Republicans to support the measure.

The bill would extend three key provisions of the counterterrorism surveillance law that are set to expire Feb. 28, unless Congress moves to reauthorize them.

One of the provisions authorizes the FBI to continue using roving wiretaps on surveillance targets; the second allows the government to access "any tangible items," such as library records, in the course of surveillance; and the third is a "lone wolf" provision that allows for the surveillance of targets who are not connected to an identified terrorist group.

Last week, 26 Republicans and 122 Democrats voted "no" to the measure. House Democrats seized on that vote as a sign of Republican "disarray," while Republicans pointed the finger at Democrats for opposing a measure supported by the Obama administration.

Democrats tried to derail Monday night's vote by moving to send the bill back to the House Judiciary Committee. The motion, submitted by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), ultimately failed on a 186-to-234 vote. Two Republicans, Reps. Ron Paul (Texas) and Walter Jones (N.C.), bucked their party and voted with Democrats to support the motion.

The motion would have added language to the measure stating that investigations of U.S. citizens under an extended authority "shall be conducted in a manner that complies with the Constitution of the United States," including the Bill of Rights, and would have expedited any federal court proceedings involving investigations of U.S. citizens related to the Patriot Act.

All eyes are now on the Senate, where lawmakers are debating three competing proposals that would either permanently extend the provisions or extend them through 2013.
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Regardless of what you might think of the Patriot Act overall, the message of the original vote-don't take your majority for granted-shouldn't be forgotten by the Republican leadership.