Associated Press
WASHINGTON - A key Republican senator said Wednesday that Congress must modify parts of the USA Patriot Act or see the law die in two years.
Changes must be made to the law if it is to be renewed in 2005, said GOP Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"I think we are building that kind of base for it in the Senate," Craig said. "Many of these, if not all of these, would have to be incorporated."
The Patriot Act allows authorities to go before a three-judge panel and get permission to secretly search the homes of suspected terrorists. It also allows a court to authorize subpoenas of library loan records and bookstore receipts of suspected terrorists, as well as allowing law enforcement to seek "John Doe" roving wiretaps and nationwide search warrants.
The revisions, introduced two weeks ago, would require the FBI to demonstrate suspicion that a person is suspected of terrorism or spying before seizing library or business records, and would require the FBI to get a court order to get electronic communications from a library instead of using just an administrative subpoena.
It also would end nationwide search warrants, forcing Congress to reevaluate the power; require "John Doe" roving wiretaps to name either the person or the place to be tapped; and require law enforcement officials to inform a judge every seven days that telling the subject of a secret search would cause the destruction of evidence, tampering with evidence or a threat to someone's life.
"I think these are commonsense proposals," said another GOP senator trying to change the law, John Sununu of New Hampshire.
Other senators pushing for revisions include Republicans Mike Crapo of Idaho and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Democrats Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, Richard Durbin of Illinois, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico and Ron Wyden of Oregon.
Justice Department spokesman Mark Corallo said the law, as is, has been "an important tool" in the war on terrorism. "Those who would seek to repeal or water down the important tools in the Patriot Act would return America to the level of vulnerability to terrorist attack that existed prior to Sept. 11, 2001," Corallo said.
Passed overwhelmingly by Congress after the Sept. 11 attacks, the Patriot Act has been criticized by civil liberty and privacy organizations as being too intrusive into American lives. But the Justice Department has defended the Patriot Act, saying it has been key to preventing a second catastrophic terrorist attack.
Democrats have been trying to build support in the Senate to rolling back portions of the Patriot Act.
"I believe it is possible to combat terrorism and preserve our individual freedoms at the same time," Durbin said. "The Patriot Act crossed the line on several key areas of civil liberties."
With Democrats and Republicans supporting the legislation, the bill "has a good chance of becoming law," Crapo said.
Craig said he expects the Justice Department to oppose their efforts. But "we think the public has spoken very clearly on this," he said.
Similar legislation will be introduced in the House, Craig said.
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