The Future of the Patriot Act Depends on the Votes of these 10 Senators

Ten senators have the future of the Patriot Act in their hands. They will be the ones who can make or break any deal on whether or not to reauthorize or reform the National Security Agency's bulk spying programs -- or to continue down a path to letting the Patriot Act Section 215 language lapse altogether. In theory, the Senate is out until May 31, but staffers will be burning up the phone lines until then -- and these are the senators who matter the most. And if reformers want to bolster their cause, they will need to win over three of them to get the USA Freedom Act from 57 votes to a filibuster-proof 60. Worth noting is that seven of the 10 senators below are up for reelection in 2016 -- some in close races -- which could nudge the Republicans left on the issue. The ten Senators are Sens Rand Paul (R-KY), Angus King (I-ME), Michael Enzi (R-WY), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Jerry Moran (R-ID), Mike Crapo (R-KS), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and John Boozman (R-AR).