That would be the provision the White House allegedly hoped to exploit which eliminated the time limit by which the Senate must confirm U.S. attorney appointees, instead allowing the Attorney General to appoint interim prosecutors (not subject to Senate confirmation) for indefinite lengths of time.
Steve Benen: "The Senate voted 94 to 2 today to undo the Patriot Act provision that allows the Bush administration to unilaterally fill U.S. attorney vacancies. ... The two who voted against the legislation, for reasons that escape me, were Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.)."
Lesley: So much for that "maverick" Chuck Hagel. Indeed.
Senators Johnson, who's still ill, Biden, McCain, and Mikulski didn't vote. The bill now has to go to the House.
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