The senate cloture vote on
S. 2271, the latest whitehouse-sponsored approach to PATRIOT act reauthorization is underway.
Let's follow the LIVE senate floor action currently on C-Span2, and whose streams can be accessed from this C-Span streams page.
Brief background: The bill S. 2271 makes some minor modifications to, but essentially leaves in place the shortcomings of the conference report that was blocked in the senate in December.
The four GOP senators that supported the filibuster of the conference report in December have wilted to the pressure from the whitehouse, and they in fact together authored S. 2271 which is meant to apply modifications to the the filibustered conference report.
A cloture motion to end the debate on the PATRIOT is now underway.
All Democrats must stand united and vote NO on the cloture motion (although Sen. Durbin may already have come in support of the new whitehouse tactic).
You can lookup your members of congress here. I am not completely sure if the modified version of the conference report would then need to be voted on in the house, which is why calling your house representative in addition to calling your Senators' offices is important.
Thanks.