Congress Extends Patriot Act

The Patriot Act lives on: Congress voted Thursday night to extend the controversial terrorism-fighting law—originally passed in the wake of 9/11—just hours before it was set to expire. Republican Senator Rand Paul held up the vote for days, calling the law a violation of privacy rights. In the end, the Senate passed the extension with a bipartisan vote of 72-23. The measure extends tthree of the Patriot Act’s main provisions, including sanctions of roving wiretaps and surveillance of non-American terror targets.