b.cognosco

The Patriot Act already has fairly weak sunset provisions, as significant portions of the law are not open to review -- in particular, provisions regarding new electronic surveillance measures. You can read more about what does, and does not, sunset in this Electronic Frontier Foundation review. Note the numerous sections of the bill labeled DOES NOT SUNSET.

But Hatch seemingly wants to remove any review of the bill, no doubt recognizing Americans' past intolerance of such abusive laws once the immediate need for them has passed. It is a shame we have anyone in our Government who would consider such a review unnecessary, given the sweeping new powers created by Patriot, and Hatch should be roundly rebuked by his constituents at the next election.

[...] Once in a while, you have to thank goodness for the extremists – or at least those people with steady, definable values.

Last year, when the “moderates” of both political parties were falling all over themselves to hand sweeping new police powers to the federal government, a coalition of leftwingers and rightwingers in the House objected. These representatives were unable to stop the so-called “Patriot Act,” but they did succeed in attaching a “sunset” provision to the law. That means that unless the full Congress reviews the act and decides it must be continued, it will expire in 2005.

Now, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wants to get rid of the sunset provision and make the Patriot Act permanent. [...] [Montana forum]