House Narrowly Passes Patriot Act Renewal

he House in a close vote Tuesday night passed renewal of the Patriot Act, and President Bush is expected to sign the legislation before major provisions of the law expire on Friday, the Associated Press reported.

The 280-138 vote passed by just two votes in House rules requiring a two-thirds majority for legislation handled on an expedited basis, AP said.

The vote on the anti-terrorism act — passed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks — ended a monthslong battle over how to balance privacy rights against the need to ensure safety, in which President Bush was forced to accept new restraints on law enforcement investigations, AP reported.

The bill was supported by 214 Republicans and 66 Democrats, and opposed by 13 Republicans, 124 Democrats and one independent, AP reported.