Filed under: News
From the Huffington Post:
The abrupt decision by Senate leadership on Thursday to reconsider their opposition to a controversial Patriot Act amendment came as a bit of a surprise to Congress followers.
But a likely explanation for the reversal began to emerge hours later.
With the national security law set to expire at midnight on Thursday, the Obama administration has applied intense pressure to congressional lawmakers to finalize an extension without any lapse. The pressure, apparently, has caused Senate leadership to bend to lawmakers critical of the bill and streamline the procedures needed to get the law passed.
On Wednesday, James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, wrote a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warning about potential national security hiccups should the Patriot Act not be extended before its expiration. In his message, Clapper detailed the operational procedures that would be disadvantaged as well as to note the heightened threat that exists following Osama bin Laden's death.
Read more here.