Original Article House renews USA Patriot Act Bush expected to sign the legislation Laurie Kellman Associated Press Mar. 8, 2006 12:00 AM WASHINGTON - The House renewed the USA Patriot Act in a cliffhanger vote Tuesday night, extending a centerpiece of the war on terrorism at President Bush's urging after months of political combat over the balance between privacy rights and the pursuit of potential terrorists. Bush, forced by filibuster to accept new curbs on law-enforcement investigations, is expected to sign the legislation before 16 provisions of the 2001 law expire on Friday. The vote was 280-138, just two more than needed under special rules that required a two-thirds majority. The Arizona delegation split on party lines, with six Republicans voting in favor and the two Democrats voting against. The close vote caught senior Republican aides in both chambers by surprise. The vote marked a political victory for Bush and will allow congressional Republicans facing midterm elections this year to continue touting a tough-on-terrorism stance. Bush's approval ratings have suffered after revelations that he had authorized warrantless wiretapping of Americans. That issue helped fuel a two-month Senate filibuster that forced the White House to accept new restrictions on information gathered in terrorism investigations. Republicans on Tuesday declared the legislative war won, saying the renewal of the act's 16 provisions and new curbs on government investigatory power will help law enforcement prevent terrorists from striking. "Intense congressional and public scrutiny has not produced a single substantiated claim that the Patriot Act has been misused to violate Americans' civil liberties," said House James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., Judiciary Committee chairman. "The president looks forward to signing the bill into law," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. The Patriot Act still has staunch congressional opponents who protested it by voting 'no' even on the part of the bill that would add new civil rights protections. The package renews 16 expiring provisions of the original Patriot Act, including one that allows federal officials to obtain "tangible items" like business records for foreign intelligence and international terrorism investigations.