No sunset for sweeping PATRIOT Act powers?

The USA PATRIOT Act, rushed into law by a panicky U.S. Congress in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, gave the government broad surveillance powers to spy on innocent citizens. But it also stipulated that three of its more controversial provisions should expire next month unless reapproved by lawmakers. And it appears that reapproval may be about to happen–evidently with a green light from the Barack Obama administration and over strong objections from human rights and civil liberties groups. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the USA PATRIOT Act Extension Act of 2009. The bill makes only minor changes to the original PATRIOT Act and was further watered down by amendments adopted during the committee's deliberations. "The Senate Judiciary Committee had the opportunity to pass legislation to rein in a bill that has become a symbol of out-of-control government invasions of your privacy. They failed - approving a bill that does little to curtail the sweeping powers embedded in the PATRIOT Act," said the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The committee's actions were driven by "short-term and political considerations", Chip Pitts, president of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, told IPS. The Judiciary Committee ignored "the need for a more sensible long-term, reasoned, rule-of-law approach", he said.