Patriot Act Moves Ahead

Despite Continued Opposition, Senate Pushes Act Closer To Renewal

(AP)  The bill would give authorities 30 days after a search before they had to notify the subject of it.

Feingold said the new deal some Senate Republicans brokered with the White House on civil liberties protections would "still allow government fishing expeditions."

Other senators also had advocated more curbs on the government's power to investigate people. But with the law already extended temporarily twice since December and a midterm election approaching, most of those who share Feingold's concerns are willing to accept the compromise struck last week with the White House.

Virtually all of the 45 senators who had stood with Feingold last year to kill a House-Senate agreement abandoned the effort this month after two of them, Republican Sens. John Sununu of New Hampshire and Larry Craig of Idaho, struck a deal with the White House to add more privacy protections.

"Compromise and consensus require concessions and flexibility," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who sided with Feingold in December but who will now vote for the bill. "It is the responsibility of the Congress to 'provide for the common defense,' and I believe we live up to that duty in this bill."

Sixty votes were required to overcome Feingold's filibuster.

Supporters expected the Senate to pass the bill March 1 and the House to quickly add its approval.

Under the deal, recipients of court-approved subpoenas for information in terrorist investigations would have the right to challenge a requirement that they refrain from telling anyone. The bill would also remove a requirement that an individual provide the FBI with the name of an attorney consulted about a National Security Letter. A third change, supporters say, makes clear that most libraries are not subject to National Security Letter demands for information about suspected terrorists.

Feingold, however, characterized the deal as making only one modest improvement over the defeated House-Senate compromise and current law: judicial review of "gag orders" issued with court-ordered subpoenas for information.