Bush Urges Renewal of Patriot Act

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President Bush on Tuesday urged lawmakers to extend permanently the USA Patriot Act, which is due to expire next year. He said that the act helps law enforcement and intelligence officials by giving them the authority to use roving wiretaps to monitor terrorists; to be granted delayed-notification search warrants, which allow searches to be conducted without tipping off subjects and giving them a chance to flee or destroy evidence; to obtain business and financial records to follow paper trails of terrorists; and to impose tougher sentences for crimes committed by terrorists. Bush also proposed other measures he'd like Congress to authorize: administrative subpoenas, limiting bail for terrorist-related crimes, and applying the death penalty for convicted terrorists.