Attorney general to defend renewal of Patriot Act to Congress

Gonzales is to testify Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee and go before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. FBI Director Robert Mueller, who also wants full reauthorization of the Patriot Act, will join Gonzales for his Senate appearance.
On the same day Gonzales will speak to the Senate committee, Sens. Larry Craig, an Idaho Republican, and Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, plan to reintroduce legislation designed to curb major parts of the Patriot Act that they say went too far.
"Cooler heads can now see that the Patriot Act went too far, too fast and that it must be brought back in line with the Constitution," said Gregory Nojeim, associate director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Washington legislative office.
The Patriot Act is the post-Sept. 11 law that expanded the government's surveillance and prosecutorial powers against suspected terrorists, their associates and financiers. Most of the law is permanent, but 15 provisions will expire in December unless renewed by Congress.
Among them is a particularly controversial section permitting secret warrants for "books, records, papers, documents and other items" from businesses, hospitals and other organizations.
That section is known as the "library provision" by its critics. While it does not specifically mention bookstores or libraries, critics say the government could use it to subpoena library and bookstore records and snoop into the reading habits of innocent Americans.