MORRISTOWN, N.J. (AP) - Gov. Chris Christie said the U.S. Senate’s failure to extend the Patriot Act could have dangerous consequences.
The Senate failed early Saturday morning to advance a House-passed bill and several short-term extensions of the law. Critics of the government’s surveillance program under the law called the failure a victory.
Christie said in a statement Saturday that “misguided ideologues” were to blame for the bills’ failure.
“This is the unfortunate result of misguided ideologues who have no real world experience in fighting terrorism putting their uninformed beliefs above the safety and security of our citizens,” Christie said.
The surveillance program has been a flashpoint in Republican presidential politics. Christie, a former U.S. attorney in New Jersey, has defended the surveillance program since former CIA contractor Edward Snowden leaked documents in 2013, showing the scale of the government’s collection.
Christie is considering a run for the White House and could announce a decision next month. One of the Patriot Act’s chief opponents is Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul who is seeking the GOP nomination. Paul protested the program on the Senate floor last week, talking for almost 11 hours.
Christie called the Senate’s action typical for the capital.
“This dysfunction is what we have come to expect from Washington, DC, but usually it does not have such dangerous and severe consequences,” he said.
The Patriot Act is set to lapse on May 31.
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