Congress Renews Patriot Act; Bush to Sign

U.S. President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base Tuesday, March 7, 2006 outside Washington. President Bush is travelling to Crawford, Texas, to vote in the Texas GOP primary before heading to New Orleans, La., and Gulfport, Miss., Wednesday. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) (Charles Dharapak - AP)

"I rise in strong opposition to this legislation because it offers only a superficial reform that will have little if any impact on safeguarding our civil liberties," said Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio.

For now, Bush will be signing a package on which members of both chambers of Congress and the president can agree.

The package renews 16 expiring provisions of the original Patriot Act, including one that allows federal officials to obtain "tangible items" like business records, including those from libraries and bookstores, for foreign intelligence and international terrorism investigations.

Other provisions would clarify that foreign intelligence or counterintelligence officers should share information obtained as part of a criminal investigation with counterparts in domestic law enforcement agencies.

Forced by Feingold's filibuster, Congress and the White House have agreed to new curbs on the Patriot Act's powers.

These restrictions would:

_ Give recipients of court-approved subpoenas for information in terrorist investigations the right to challenge a requirement that they refrain from telling anyone.

_ Eliminate a requirement that an individual provide the FBI with the name of a lawyer consulted about a National Security Letter, which is a demand for records issued by investigators.

_ Clarify that most libraries are not subject to demands in those letters for information about suspected terrorists.

The legislation also takes aim at the distribution and use of methamphetamine by limiting the supply of a key ingredient found in everyday cold and allergy medicines.

Yet another provision is designed to strengthen port security by imposing strict punishments on crew members who impede or mislead law enforcement officers trying to board their ships.