While you were celebrating Memorial Weekend, the Senate was abdicating its responsibility as to national security, or so some believe.

Very early Saturday morning,  after working most of the night, Senate Republicans blocked a bill known as the USA Freedom Act, which would have ended NSA's bulk collection but preserved its ability to search the records held by the phone companies on a case-by-case basis. The bill was backed by President Barack Obama, House Republicans and the nation's top law enforcement and intelligence officials.  

It fell just three votes short of the 60 needed for passage. 

Also, a second bill, one that would have granted atwo-month extension of the law failed.  

The failure to act means the NSA will immediately begin curtailing its searches of domestic phone records for connections to international terrorists. The Justice Department said in a statement that it will take time to taper off the collection process from the phone companies. That process began Friday, in anticipation of the failed Senate vote(s). 

While the phone records program has never been credited with thwarting a terrorist plot including the Boston Marathon, the Senate failure also imperils other tools that the FBI has been using to hunt for suspected spies and terrorists.

The FBI uses Section 215 of the Patriot Act to gather financial and other types of records in national security cases. Another expiring provision makes it easier for the bureau to track "lone wolf" terrorism suspects who have no connection to a foreign power, and another allows the government to eavesdrop on suspects who continuously discard their cellphones in an effort to avoid surveillance.

You should know that this failure to confirm the House bill,  was speerheaded by Mitch McConnell.  He wanted the Patriot Act and Section 215 to continue as written,  in spite of the fact that a District Federal Court struck down 215,  this past week.  

What he got for his effort was a failed bill to confirm 215,  and a weakened intel reality.  How critical is this failure?  Probably not as bad as some want us to believe,  but,  still,  why not have as much protection as possible.  

On the other end of the spectrum, opposite McConnell,  are the Libertarians and Rand Paul,  who oppose the Patriot Act on Constitutional grounds.   Again,  when faced with the kind of threat ISIS and International Islamic extremism presents,  the question of safety and national security,  for this editor,  trumps the arguments made by Libertarians. 

Understand that many conservatives do not believe the Patriot Act violates the Constitution.  Phone messages are not intercepted or read.  Only phone-to-phone numbers are tracked without the invasion of privacy.  Fine with me.  

At any rate,  Rand Paul is burning his bridges as he opposes the Patriot Act.  His approval numbers have taken a nose dive.  This is not the time to preach isolationism and retreat.