If the House approves the legislation as well, the Patriot Act -- an omnibus security bill passed in the wake of 9/11 that civil libertarians argue amounts to a major roll-back of civil rights -- will see three of its most controversial elements extended by a year.
Those are the "roving wiretap" clause, used to monitor mobile communications of individuals using multiple telephone lines; the "lone-wolf" provision, which enables spying on individuals suspected of terrorist activity but with no obvious connection to extremist groups; and the controversial section 215, known as the "library records provision" that allows government agencies to access an individual's library history.
The Patriot Act provisions are set to expire on Sunday.
Senate Democrats had hoped to insert privacy safeguards into the law before passing the extension, but couldn't overcome a Republican filibuster.
rest at http://rawstory.com/2010/02/dems-abandon-reforms-extend-patriot-act/
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