Sen. Specter Poised to Revive Patriot Act

Associated Press | December 22 2005

WASHINGTON -- A deal preserving the expiring portions of the terror-fighting USA Patriot Act may be in the works, Senate Judiciary chairman Arlen Specter said Wednesday.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Specter said he held secret talks and chances of a deal "are brighter in the last half hour than they've been for six days."

A House-Senate compromise extending 16 expiring provisions of the Patriot Act has been stuck in the Senate for the past week because of a Democratic-led filibuster. Opponents of the legislation say they want more safeguards in the legislation than are currently being offered.

The legislation's supporters, including Specter, R-Pa., have argued that the measure is the best they could come up with in negotiations with the Republican-controlled House.

Without some sort of compromise, the 16 provisions expire on Dec. 31.

Specter said he is trying to broker a deal that would allow the Senate to pass the current legislation "on my commitment to take up issues that they are so worried about. We'd have hearings early next year and consider the amendments, no commitment as to passage, but give consideration to that so we don't have the Patriot Act lapse, since it's important to America."

Specter held out hope that a deal could be made quickly. "I think there's a fairly good chance at this moment," he said.

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