Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) slammed Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Sunday for creating a “manufactured crisis” over expiring provisions of the Patriot Act.
Reid said McConnell was to blame for the possible expiration of the law at midnight, and not Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has opposed a bipartisan reform bill and a straight extension of the Patriot Act, which would authorize key National Security Agency programs.
{mosads}”It is clear that the majority leader simply didn’t have a plan,” Reid said in comments on the Senate floor during a rare Sunday session of the upper chamber.
“I disagree with the junior senator from Kentucky, but we’re not in the mess today because of the junior senator from Kentucky,” Reid said, referring to Paul. “We are in the mess we are in today because of the majority leader.”
The Senate is expected to take three procedural votes after 6 p.m. on Sunday.
The third vote would be to end debate on the USA Freedom Act, which would reform the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs and was approved by the House in a 338-88 vote.
Supporters of the bill believe they have the 60 votes to end debate, which would set up a vote as early as 1 a.m. Tuesday.
McConnell wants a “clean” extension of the Patriot Act provisions. McConnell and other top Senate Republicans have opposed the House-backed USA Freedom Act, which would require the NSA to request phone records from private companies.
But McConnell was unable to get the necessary votes last week to pass an extension of the provisions. Reid doubled down on his push Sunday that passing the USA Freedom Act is now McConnell’s only option.
“There is a way out: Pass the USA Freedom Act which the House overwhelmingly passed with 338 votes on a totally bipartisan basis,” he said. “All we need is a few more Republican senators to vote with Democrats and the bill will pass.”
Paul opposes the USA Freedom Act and has said he will block action on that legislation unless he gets commitments that his amendments to the bill will be considered for up-or-down votes.
His opposition makes it unlikely the Senate will take action to extend the Patriot Act provisions before midnight, when they would expire.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) added that even if the Senate passed a “clean” extension on Sunday, the House isn’t in session to take up the legislation and Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) has pledged to block any such proposal.
“The House will not return to the Capitol tomorrow until the deadline has passed,” he said. “We could talk about passing a 100-year extension if we want, it will make no difference.”
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