Rep. Lungren says bin Laden's death shows need for Patriot Act

Homeland Security Committee member Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) said Monday that Osama bin Laden's death shows the need for Congress to renew the Patriot Act and maintain a U.S. presence in Afghanistan.

Speaking on C-SPAN, Lungren said bin Laden's death was possible in large part because of the continuity of intelligence and the ability to analyze that intelligence over time. He said it is a "tremendous reminder of why we need to have these kinds of tools in this fight," citing three surveillance authorities in the Patriot Act as examples.

"I hope this will remind people of how important this is," Lungren said.

President Obama in late February signed legislation that extends the ability of U.S. agents to conduct roving surveillance, collect business documents and other tangible materials and surveil "lone wolf" operators who are not acting against the U.S. as part of an established terrorist group.

However, these Patriot Act authorities will expire on May 27, which means Congress will have to debate them again. The three-month extension was meant to give Congress more time to consider the surveillance techniques, and Democrats in particular wanted more time to assess congressional oversight of such authorities.

Lungren also said Monday that bin Laden's death implies a longer-term stay in Afghanistan.

"The message is very very clear: We will not waver, we will continue," Lungren said. "If anybody believes this means we're going to get out of Afghanistan anytime soon, that we're going to be able to call off our effort, that's just wrong."

President Obama himself seemed to mirror some of these themes in his address to the nation Sunday night. Obama thanked unnamed intelligence agents, said the U.S. must "remain vigilant at home and abroad" and stressed that bin Laden's death "does not mark the end of our effort."