27-02-10 Obama contines Patriot Act for 1 year

President Obama signed a one-year extension of three provisions of the USA Patriot Act Saturday February 27. House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) explained two days earlier that the law will “extend three provisions of our foreign intelligence surveillance laws for 1 year.The provisions are section 206 of the PATRIOT Act,governing roving wiretaps; section 215,which addresses the collection of business records;and the so-called ‘lone wolf surveillance’ law.Without extension,these provisions will expire on Sunday coming.”The House of Representatives passed the bill Thursday by a 315-97 vote.Conyers voted for the bill February 25 despite qualms about “civil liberties” because,in his words,“we have no other choice but to go along with this extension because there isn’t sufficient time.Well,tomorrow is the last day of the week.It’s physically impossible.So under these circumstances,it seems to me the best course is to merely maintain the status quo.”