USA PATRIOT Act

“Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing

Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct
Terrorism Act of 2001”
Video

● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOdr4lJfQIA
 Fast Facts

● 300 page piece of legislation

● Passed by simple majority in the Senate
○ 98-1 (1 abstaining)
● Signed into law by George W. Bush on October 21, 2001
○ This was just 45 days after September 11, the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil to date
○ There was public support for the PATRIOT Act
■ People wanted to expand law enforcement’s search and seizure powers in the immediate
aftermath of 9/11
■ The main focus was prevent an attack of equal or greater proportions
 Aims of the USA PATRIOT Act
● Increase and improve homeland security by:
○ allowing law enforcement to use surveillance and wiretapping to investigate terror-related crimes
○ allowing federal agents to request court permission to use roving wiretaps to track a specific terrorist
suspect
○ allowing delayed notification search warrants to prevent a terrorist from learning they are a suspect
○ allowing federal agents to seek federal court permission to obtain bank records and business records to aid
in national security terror investigations and prevent money laundering for terrorism financing
○ improving information and intelligence sharing between government agencies
○ providing tougher penalties for convicted terrorists and those who harbor them
○ allowing search warrants to be obtained in any district where terror-related activity occurs, no matter
where the warrant is executed
○ ending the statute of limitations for certain terror-related crimes
○ making it harder for aliens involved in terrorist activities to enter the United States
○ providing aid to terrorism victims and public safety officers involved in investigating or preventing
terrorism or responding to terrorist attacks
 USA Patriot Improvement and
Reauthorization Act of 2005
● Many of the powers in the PATRIOT Act were set to expire in 2005
○ There was more debate in passing this reauthorization Act, as time had passed since 9/11
○ The Improvement and Reauthorization Act would renew all expired parts of the original PATRIOT
Act
● Passed by simple majority in the Senate
○ 89-10 (1 abstaining)
● Passed by simple majority in the House
○ 251-174 (9 abstaining)
 PATRIOT Sunsets Extension Act
of 2011
● The PATRIOT Act was again set to expire in 2015
○ With every re-introduction of the Act and as more time passes since 9/11 there is more opposition
○ The Sunsets Extension Act would renew all expired parts of the original PATRIOT Act, much like
the Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005
● Passed by simple majority in the Senate
○ 72-23 (5 abstaining)
● Passed by simple majority in the House
○ 250-153 (28 abstaining)
 USA Freedom Act

● Many parts of the PATRIOT Act that had been renewed twice over had expired
the day before the Freedom Act was passed
●
● The expired aspects of USA PATRIOT Act were renewed until 2019
● Passed by simple majority in the Senate
○ 67-32 (1 abstaining)
● Passed by simple majority in the House
○ 338-88 (6 abstaining)
●
 Discussion Questions

● How does public opinion at one time affect legislation long term?
● Why did the original legislators include a “clock” on the Act?
● What would have happened if there was no “clock”?
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