The Patriot Act passed The House 315 to 97, and the Senate by a Voice Vote = Veto Proof

[FrenchieCat]

So I don't believe that President Obama had a real choice in signing the renewal the Patriot Act for 1 year. :(

In an election year, there is no way you will find enough Democrats who would support a Presidential veto of the Patriot act.

Senate votes to extend USA Patriot Act for 1 year

Thursday, February 25th, 2010
The Senate has passed a one-year extension of key provisions of the USA Patriot Act, the nation's counterterrorism surveillance law.

The surveillance and seizure provisions are scheduled to expire at the end of the month. In agreeing to pass the bill Wednesday, Senate Democrats retreated from adding new privacy protections to the law.

The Senate approved the bill on a voice vote, with no debate. It now goes to the House.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/02/24/national/w162532S62.DTL&tsp=1

WASHINGTON -- Key provisions of the nation's primary counterterrorism law would be extended for a year under a bill passed by the House Thursday evening after Democrats retreated from adding new privacy protections.

The House voted 315 to 97 to extend the USA Patriot Act, sending the bill to President Barack Obama. Without the bill, the provisions would expire Sunday.

The Senate approved the extension Wednesday. The privacy protections were cast aside when Senate Democrats lacked the necessary 60-vote supermajority to pass them. Thrown away were restrictions and greater scrutiny on the government's authority to spy on Americans and seize their records.

The three sections of the Patriot act that would stay in force:

--Authorize court-approved roving wiretaps that permit surveillance on multiple phones.

--Allow court-approved seizure of records and property in anti-terrorism operations.

--Permit surveillance against a so-called lone wolf, a non-U.S. citizen engaged in terrorism who may not be part of a recognized terrorist group.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., noted that the bill with privacy protections had been approved in committee by a bipartisan majority. He said the measure "should be an example of what Democrats and Republicans can accomplish when we work together, but I understand some Republican senators objected to passing the carefully crafted national security, oversight and judicial review provisions in this legislation."

But Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the ranking Republican on Leahy's committee, said Thursday that any changes to the Patriot Act would weaken it.

"Recent terror attacks, such as those at Fort Hood and on Christmas Day, demonstrate just how severe of a threat we are facing," Sessions said. "This extension keeps Patriot's security measures in place and demonstrates that there is a growing recognition that these crucial provisions must be preserved."

The Obama administration supported the revisions to the law as approved by the committee.

Republicans have been steadily pounding the Obama administration over the closing of the detainee prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as well as the possibility of holding civilian trials for detainees in the United States. They have also criticized federal agents for informing a Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (OO'-mahr fah-ROOK' ahb-DOOL'-moo-TAH'-lahb), of his right to remain silent after 50 minutes of questioning for allegedly trying to ignite explosives on a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas.
http://www.wsmv.com/politics/22676032/detail.html

[jaxx]

1. I don't think he had much choice either.

And the key words 'court-approved' will make a difference. What was done in stealth will be done in daylight.

[GoCubsGo]

5. I'm glad somebody else noticed those words.

Not that it will make a difference to some around here.

[Fire1]

2. Overall, election years suck. n/t

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

18. And it's because, largely, the electors suck.

We don't reward proper behavior because most people don't even know what that means.

[Cha]

3. Yeah, well we know

who the true patriots are.

[Arkana]

4. I have to say I don't like this at all.

And I think Obama should have taken a more active role in discouraging it.

That said, a veto-proof majority is a veto-proof majority.

[Number23]

6. +1 Agree with everything you said.

[Arkana]

7. Right. I'd blame the Democrats in Congress for voting for the

so-called "Patriot Act" first.

[sandnsea]

8. There were several changes in 2006

I don't know that every single thing that needed changing has been changed -- but it seems to me a better approach is to identify the specific items rather than bash the whole bill.

But there is something very fulfilling in being part of a "righteous movement" against the government, I've figured that much out.

[Kaleva]

9. My guess is that a large majority of Americans have accepted the Patriot Act

Considering that the renewal passed by such a large margin, President Obama vetoing it would have amounted to an empty, symbolic gesture as effective as Custer mooning the Native Americans at Little Big Horn.

[Cha]

10. Ouch!

Actually not a bad analogy.

[goclark]

11. LOL good one

[Arkana]

12. Not to mention that Alan Grayson and Anthony Weiner both voted for it.

That has silenced much of GD.

[CTLawGuy]

13. UNDER THE BUS, UNDER THE BUS

ROFL!!!

[Cha]

14. Good to know..thank you, Arkana~

[Arkana]

15. John Conyers is also on the list.

[treestar]

16. Once these things get started, they are so hard to undo

That's why I was so against it in the first place.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

17. Since when has reality ever gotten in the way of people bashing Obama?

Seriously, he should doublesuperveto it, dammit!! :crazy:

On the other hand, knowing that it would be overridden, he could always veto it just to keep the morons happy. :shrug: