(12/21/2005 ) 4 GOP Senators Hold Firm Against Patriot Act Renewal

(12/21/2005 ) 4 GOP Senators Hold Firm Against Patriot Act Renewal

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-TN, could barely conceal his anger

Frist said, "The Patriot Act expires on December 31, but the terrorist threat does not."

4 of the 46 senators using the delaying tactic to thwart the USA Patriot Act renewal are members of Frist's party

The four Republican rebels -- Larry E. Craig (Idaho), Chuck Hagel (Neb.), John E. Sununu (N.H.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) -- have joined all but two Senate Democrats in arguing that more civil liberties safeguards need to be added to the proposed renewal of the Patriot Act

The four stand calmly at the center of a political storm that soon will determine whether the law, enacted soon after the 2001 terrorist attacks, is renewed in a modified form or allowed to expire in 11 days

Sen. Murkowski Comment
Sen. Murkowski said, "I think the responsible thing to do at this point is to move forward with a three-month extension" of the current law

Sen. Hagel Comment
Sen. Hagel said, "I took an oath of office to the Constitution, I didn't take an oath of office to my party or my president."

Sen. Sununu Statement
Sen. Sununu said, "How can the president justify vetoing the [temporary] extension?"

Sununu said, "That suggests that he thinks the country is better off without any Patriot Act provisions in place than with a three-month extension. And that makes no sense at all."

Sen. Craig Comments
Sen. Craig said, "The beauty of Westerners is that we have a healthy distrust of our government."

Craig said that gun owners are particularly leery of laws that give federal agents greater powers to secretly search offices and homes

Craig said, "Whether they are business records or they are gun dealers' records or whatever, they are records that can be gained under the law."


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