WASHINGTON — House and Senate negotiators agreed Thursday on extending key parts of the USA Patriot Act, despite complaints that the provisions in the anti-terrorism law infringe on the civil liberties of U.S. citizens.
A small group of senators from both parties vowed to try to block the agreement, which could go to Congress for a vote as early as next week. But to succeed, they must overcome support for the compromise forged by GOP congressional leaders and the White House.
The Bush administration views the law, passed overwhelmingly after the Sept. 11 attacks, as a vital tool in thwarting similar terrorist plots. Its critics charge that the act gives the government too much power to pry into the private lives of Americans and that it needs extensive rewriting.
Thursday's agreement would make permanent 14 of the act's 16 provisions, which are due to expire Dec. 31. The remaining two -- which sparked the most contention -- would be extended for at least four years.
One of those two provisions, the so-called library measure, gives the FBI broad leeway in obtaining financial, health and personal information, including the titles of library books people have checked out. The other authorizes roving wiretaps, allowing law enforcement officials to secretly tap any phone line used by a suspected terrorist.
Under Thursday's agreement, the government's use of these two measures would face new curbs. For instance, the government would have to explain in more detail why it wanted to use a roving wiretap.
The House had voted to continue the two disputed provisions for 10 years; senators, citing the concerns about possible government abuse, backed the four-year extension.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said that although negotiations had been difficult, he expected the House and Senate to pass a final version of the bill next week.
He also said the compromise improved the original Patriot Act. "All factors considered, it's reasonably good -- not perfect, but it's acceptable," he said.
But three senators from each party who were not part of the negotiations quickly expressed their opposition, including Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.). He vowed to do "everything I can, including a filibuster, to stop this" agreement from becoming law.
The senators will be able to defeat the accord if they muster 41 votes to block a motion ending debate on it.
