Fifty-six senators voted to cut off debate, and move forward to a vote on the bill itself, a step known as cloture. But under Senate rules, 60 votes are needed to invoke cloture.

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The legal concept of habeas corpus ("You have the body" in Latin) dates back to medieval England, and is meant to protect people from being locked up indefinitely without a court review. Last year, Congress passed and President Bush signed an act eliminating the right of habeas corpus for non-Americans who are labeled "enemy combatants" in the continuing campaign against terrorism.

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Senator Russell D. Feingold, Democrat of Wisconsin, said it was "deeply disappointing" that a Senate minority had blocked efforts to restore the right of habeas corpus. "We can and should bring terrorists to justice but we can do it without sacrificing the values upon which our nation was built," he said.

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