U.S. Rep Chris Murphy (D-5th) joined the rest of the Connecticut Congressional delegation Thursday by voting not to extend the Patriot Act for another 4 years, according to the Hartford Courant's Capitolwatch Blog.
Murphy prefaced his vote in his Senate Campaign blog. The 5th District congressman has announced he is running for U.S. Senate in 2012.
"The Patriot Act does not strike the right balance between protecting our nation while safeguarding the cherished civil liberties we hold dear," Murphy said in a May 25 e-mail that was posted on the site. "I have voted to give Congress time to find an appropriate balance in the past, but extending the most unjustifiable provisions in the act with no additional oversight for an additional four years is a bridge too far for me."
Murphy and Rep. Joe Courtney broke from the delegation back in February, by voting for a 90-day extension of the act. The measure passed in the house and the senate, and is expected to be signed by President Barack Obama, media outlets reported.
"I'll get attacked for this vote; Republicans believe they smell blood in the water every time I vote to defend civil liberties - it's happened in almost every one of my federal campaigns," Murphy said in his post.
