Politics

Move to extend Patriot Act under suspended rules fails in House

Chris Moody Chris Moody is a reporter for The Daily Caller.
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An effort to quietly pass an extension of key provisions in the Patriot Act under the same rules the House uses to name Post Offices failed in a Tuesday night vote.

The vote, which required two-thirds of the House, fell short 277-148. It needed just seven more votes to pass.

The lower chamber tried to pass the extension by suspending the rules, which is typically used to pass non-controversial bills. A second attempt under different rules is expected before they expire on Feb. 28.

The provisions provide the federal government the power to conduct roving wiretaps, access public library check-out information, and the “lone wolf” provision that tracks citizens who may not be connected to larger terrorist groups.

The White House is pushing for an extension until 2013.

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Chris Moody