House OKs short-term extension of Patriot Act

The Republican-led House passed a short-term extension of expiring provisions of the Patriot Act on Monday, temporarily bypassing opposition from conservative and “tea party”-inspired lawmakers as it sought to keep the terrorist surveillance program from lapsing at month’s end.

The Obama administration prefers a longer extension through 2013, as a Senate measure would provide. But that legislation is likely to face resistance in the House, where GOP leaders were blindsided last week when conservatives joined Democrats to defeat it. Opponents see the provisions as an overreach of federal authority into private lives.

Congress has until Feb. 28 to extend the expiring provisions of the law, enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The legislation would extend three controversial segments of the Patriot Act. The so-called library provision allows authorities with a court order to investigate a wide swath of documents, including library records, of terrorism suspects. The roving wiretap provision allows authorizes to conduct surveillance on suspects when they change phones or locations. The “lone wolf” provision allows surveillance of foreigners even if they have no relation to terrorist groups.

The House voted 275 to 144 to continue the provisions through Dec. 8. The Senate is expected to take up the bill before the end of the month.

Republican leaders in both the House and Senate want to extend the provisions permanently, and revisiting the issue in December would inject it into the 2012 presidential race. But a permanent extension faces an uphill climb in Congress.

Last week, House leaders brought up the measure under rules requiring that it pass by a two-thirds vote — and fell seven short. Twenty-six Republicans voted against the bill under that procedure, which prohibited lawmakers from offering amendments.

This week, the House passed the extension by a simple majority, with 27 Republicans voting no. Only one amendment was offered, and it was defeated.

Sixty-five Democrats voted for the extension and 117 voted against it.

lisa.mascaro@latimes.com