Obama: 'Handful of senators' standing in way of Patriot Act | The Compost Bin | Forums

let's not forget the millions of Americans, I predict another dog and pony show till 11:59 where the they all come together for the greater good of the peasantry, I mean citizens

WASHINGTON (AP) — Blaming a "handful of senators" for stalled national security legislation, President Barack Obama said Friday he has told Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other senators that he expects them to take action swiftly to extend key Patriot Act provisions.

Without action by midnight Sunday, a number of tools that permit law enforcement to pursue and investigate suspected terrorists will expire. Obama pinned responsibility directly on the Senate if something were to go awry.

"I don't want us to be in a situation in which for a certain period of time those authorities go away and suddenly we are dark," he said. "And heaven forbid we've got a problem where we could have prevented a terrorist attack or apprehended someone who is engaged in dangerous activity but we didn't do so simply because of inaction in the Senate."

Among the provisions that would expire is the National Security Agency's ability to search and amass Americans' phone records. The most prominent critic of the legislation is Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a GOP presidential contender. In an interview Friday between campaign stops in South Carolina, Paul said voters are encouraging him to continue fighting the government's bulk collection programs.

more https://www.yahoo.com/tech/s/obama-handful-senators-standing-way-patriot-act-204617879--politics.html