By Alabama Public Radio
Washington, AL – Efforts to renew certain parts of the U-S Patriot Act suffered a significant setback Friday. The U-S Senate could not get enough votes to end debate on the issue and take a final vote. Alabama's senators -- Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions -- voted to end the debate. But Republicans were eight votes short of the 60 needed to move on. Many provisions of the Patriot Act are set to expire at the end of the year. Its supporters, including President Bush, say it's necessary to continue the fight against terrorism. But opponents say the bill doesn't have enough safeguards and it infringes on the private lives of Americans.