Washington – A day before parts of the USA Patriot Act were to expire, President Bush signed into law a renewal that will allow the government to keep using terror-fighting tools passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Bush’s signature came two days after the House gave final approval to the legislation over objections that it infringes on Americans’ privacy. The president said the law has been vital to protecting Americans from terrorists.
Sixteen provisions of the old law were to expire today.
Political battles over the legislation forced Congress to extend the expiration date twice.
To get the legislation renewed, Bush was forced to accept new curbs on the Patriot Act’s powers.
These new civil liberties protections for the first time say explicitly that people who receive subpoenas granted under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for library, medical, computer and other records can challenge a gag order in court.
Some say the protections did not go far enough.
But Republicans want to take the law into the upcoming midterm elections to show they are acting to protect national security.
The legislation renews the expiring provisions of the original Patriot Act, including one that lets federal officials obtain “tangible items,” such as business records, from libraries and bookstores, in connection with foreign intelligence and international terrorism investigations.
