John Byrne

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will vote against the updated Patriot Act and will join with senators who are seeking to block the bill from coming up for a vote, RAW STORY has learned.

Reid has told aides he will vote against cloture -- a Senate procedure which requires that 60 senators support a bill being brought before the Senate before it is brought to a final vote. In essence, voting against cloture means supporting a filibuster.

"Senator Reid has several concerns including the National Security letters, the library provision, and some of the habeas corpus aspects which have nothing to do with terrorism," an aide told RAW STORY.

Sen Russ Feingold (D-WI) has previously said he will filibuster the revised version of the act. In voting against cloture, Reid will be supporting Sen. Feingold's efforts.

About a dozen senators have expressed opposition to the new version of the Act. The Senate moved to strike various controversial aspects from the Patriot Act when it was brought up for renewal, but those aspects -- including a "sneak and peek" provision which allows law enforcement officials to review library records -- were readded when congressmembers from the House and Senate met in conference to come up with a bill both chambers could agree upon.

The Patriot Act was swiftly passed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in an effort to give law enforcement officials broad powers to combat terrorism.

Republicans who oppose the bill are doing so on libertarian grounds, saying the government should respect Americans' right to privacy. Among Republicans opposing the revised version of the bill are Sens. Larry Craig (R-ID), Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Sen. John Sununu (R-NH).

The Patriot Act has drawn staunch criticism from liberal quarters, including the American Civil Liberties Union, which notes that under the current Act those who are served with National Security letters are not even allowed to disclose that they are government targets, regardless of whether or not they have been found guilty.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, has said he does not expect the bill to be filibustered.

Originally published on Wednesday December 14, 2005