House Judiciary ranking member Lamar Smith and other Republicans have unsuccessfully argued that the PATRIOT Act bill introduced two weeks ago by Chairman John Conyers with House Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairman Bobby Scott, D-Va., deserves a hearing before it is teed up for a vote.

Smith called the lack of a hearing an "unwarranted departure" from the regular committee process. He chaired a GOP briefing on the bill Tuesday. Smith said Democrats insist on making unnecessary changes to the law that could undermine law enforcement. The Obama administration backed a full reauthorization of the expiring provisions but said it remained open to suggestions for modifications.

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