President George W. Bush this afternoon is meeting with about 20 U.S. attorneys to determine how successful the USA Patriot Act has been disrupting terrorist plots and breaking up terrorist cells, according to the White House. "These U.S. attorneys have used these vital tools in the Patriot Act to help disrupt plots and break up terrorist cells," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "These U.S. attorneys have used these vital tools to help stop the terrorists here at home. And the president looks forward to hearing from them and talking about the importance of getting this reauthorized and renewed. "A majority of the House and Senate support reauthorization of the Patriot Act," McClellan said. "These are vital tools in the war on terrorism here at home. They help us connect the dots and prevent attacks from happening." President Bush, in his meeting with U.S. attorneys, said Senators did not renew the act "for partisan reasons," even though it is "necessary to protect the country." "The enemy has not gone away. They're still there," Bush said. "And I expect Congress to understand that we're at war, and they've got to give us the tools necessary to win that war."
