Several provisions of the 2001 PATRIOT Act, set to expire at the end of this year, are being reconsidered by both the House and Senate this week.

The Washington Independent's Daphne Eviatar reports that during today's hearing before the House Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers and Rep. Jerrold Nadler questioned "the sneaky way that the Patriot Act got passed in the first place, offering an interesting glimpse into the behind-the-scenes workings of Congress." The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a related hearing tomorrow.

Ahead of this week's hearings, several senators introduced the JUSTICE Act to reform those powers granted in the PATRIOT Act and FISA Amendments Act, which are of greatest concern to civil libertarians.