U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell  issued the following statement Monday regarding a bipartisan extension of the Patriot Act:

“Our country faces a sophisticated, lethal threat from Al Qaeda, associate groups and self radicalized terrorists. The Patriot Act is one of the critical tools for keeping America safe.  This bipartisan extension provides the intelligence and law enforcement communities  stability for the next few years in the use of these tools as they confront the threats that face the nation.  We should not let these authorities lapse or make them more difficult to use.”