Senate panel votes to approve new FBI powers

Under the Patriot Act revisions approved Tuesday by the Senate Intelligence Committee, the FBI will have the power to subpoena records without the approval of a judge or grand jury in terrorism investigations. Portions of the Patriot Act — signed into law six weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks — were set to expire at the end of 2005.

Source: The Associated Press c/o msnbc.msn.com

"The bill also must be considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Feinstein and other Democrats planned to again offer amendments.

Overall, Rockefeller said, the committee gave a nod to most of the Patriot Act in its first few years fighting the nation’s new enemies.

“We concluded that these tools have helped keep America safe ... and should be made permanent,” Rockefeller said in a statement.

Still, civil libertarians panned the bill and the closed-door meetings in which it was written."

I'm inclined to disagree with this. I don't recall a huge public debate about this or other legislation expanding the power of our central government. I have to read about it afterwards.