A band of Senate Republican holdouts reached agreement Thursday with the White House on minor changes in the Patriot Act, hoping to clear the way for passage of anti-terror legislation stalled in a dispute over protection of civil liberties.
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Sen. John Sununu (news, bio, voting record), R-N.H., and three other GOP lawmakers — all of whom joined with Democrats last year to block a long-term extension of the law — were to announce the accord later Thursday.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan pre-empted them, saying the changes "continue to build upon the civil liberties protections that are in place but do so in a way that doesn't compromise our national security priorities."
"We're pleased that this important legislation is moving forward," he said...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060209/ap_on_go_co/patriot_actTHE ALLOUT ASSAULT ON CIVIL LIBERTIES CONTINUES