Success for Civil Liberties Supporters

Attempt to End Debate on Patriot Act Reauthorization, Force It's Renewal, Fails
From the Associated Press:

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, demanding increased protection of civil liberties, defied President George W. Bush on Friday and blocked legislation to renew the USA Patriot Act, a centerpiece of his war on terrorism.

On a Senate vote of 52-47, mostly Republican backers of the measure fell eight short of the needed 60 to end debate and move to passage of it.

"None of us wants it to expire, and those who threaten to let it expire rather than fix it are playing a dangerous game," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat.

Read the full article here;
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2005-12-16T175338Z_01_SIB572032_RTRUKOC_0_US-SECURITY-PATRIOT.xml&rpc=22

How did the Senators vote?
Yea is a vote to end debate and force passage of the Patriot Act reauthorization. 52 Senators voted Yea. 60 Yea votes were needed.

Nay is a vote supporting a filibuster of the Patriot Act reauthorization. 47 Senators voted Nay.

See the votes here:
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00358

How the Vote Would Go Was Unclear all Week. What Happened?
From National Journal:

What appears to have tipped the balance for several senators was a New York Times story that said Bush authorized the National Security Agency in 2002 to eavesdrop on international phone calls and e-mail traffic without any oversight by the courts.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. said during debate that he had gone to bed undecided about how to vote, but the Times story had shocked him. "If this government will discard a law that that has worked well for over 30 years without a wit of discussion or notice, then for sure we better be certain that we have safeguards on that government," he said. "I tend to be fairly hawkish on these types of things, as my colleagues know, but there's one thing for sure: There ought to be discussion."

What Will Happen Now?
From Congressional Quarterly:
A nearly unanimous bloc of Senate Democrats, joined by a handful of Republicans, blocked consideration of a bill Friday that would reauthorize the 16 expiring provisions of the Patriot Act, leaving in limbo the sections of the law that are set to expire Dec. 31.

Afterward, Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, tried to bring a three-month extension of the anti-terrorism law to the floor, but Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., objected.

Frist said President Bush would not sign a short-term extension. That left the next step unclear. The measure (HR 3199 — H Rept 109-333) is still on the floor, but there is no readily apparent avenue for compromise.

Opponents of the bill want a new conference. Supporters say the version now on the floor is the best deal they are likely to get. Frist had suggested earlier in the week that a one-year extension might be a possibility.