NY Post- 'PATRIOT' POWER

Friday March 10, 2006

From NY Post:

'PATRIOT' POWER

By DEBORAH ORIN Washington Bureau Chief

BUSH INKS TERROR LAW
In a triumph after a long struggle with Congress, President Bush yesterday signed the new version of the Patriot Act to keep special terror-fighting powers passed after 9/11.

"The Patriot Act has accomplished exactly what it was designed to do. It has helped us detect terror cells, disrupt terrorist plots and save American lives," Bush said, signing the bill a day before the old law was to expire.

"America remains a nation at war . . . In the face of this ruthless threat, our nation has made a clear choice: We will confront this mortal danger, we will stay on the offensive and we're not going to wait to be attacked again."

He said the Patriot Act - which allows the FBI and CIA to talk to each other about potential crimes - helped break up terror cells in New York, Ohio, Oregon and Virginia.

The updated version includes a crackdown on over-the-counter sales of cold and allergy drugs that can be used to make methamphetamines.

Such drugs with pseudoephedrine will have to be sold from behind the counter and buyers must show ID.

The signing marked the end of an epic battle in Congress, in which Democrats said the law violates civil liberties. At one point, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada crowed: "We killed the Patriot Act."

Reid was wrong, and Democrats took flak for his comment. In the end, the revised Patriot Act passed the Senate by 89-10, with Reid as well as Sens. Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voting for it.

It passed the House two days ago on a 280-138 vote.

deborah.orin@nypost.com

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