Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate reached a compromise tonight on the Patriot Act by approving a 6-month extension to the current law, which had 16 provisions due to expire at the end of this month. The following is a comment by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.):

“I am very pleased a compromise was reached to provide Congress with six more months to reach a consensus. This vote involved sixteen sections, of which three are of concern to people. I believe there will now be ample time for the Judiciary Committee to take another look at these three sections – involving sneak and peak, national security letters and the so-called library provision – and make any changes that appear to be necessary. I believe the Patriot Act has been a valuable tool in our effort to combat terror and it is extremely important that every effort be made to reach an agreement that avoids a partisan standoff that diminishes our effectiveness to combat terrorism.”

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