Title: Patriot Act - HISTORY
Headings: Patriot Act
Patriot Act
Contents
What Is the Patriot Act?
Details of the Patriot Act
Did the Patriot Act Prevent Terrorism?
Patriot Act and Privacy Debate
USA Freedom Act
Sources
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Content: Prior to the 9/11 attacks, Congress had mainly focused on legislation to prevent international terrorism. But after the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing in which American citizens blew up a federal building, domestic terrorism gained more attention. On April 24, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the “Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996,” to make it easier for law enforcement to identify and prosecute domestic and international terrorists. The law, however, didn’t go far enough for President Clinton. He’d asked Congress to give law enforcement expanded wiretap authority and increased access to personal records in terrorism cases, among other things. Congress refused, mainly because many felt loosening surveillance and records rules was unconstitutional. All bets were off, however, after 9/11, the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil. Faced with millions of fearful voters, Congress approached U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft ’s post-9/11 recommendations with a different eye and overwhelmingly passed the Patriot Act. Details of the Patriot Act
According to the Department of Justice, the Patriot Act simply expanded the application of tools already being used against drug dealers and organized crime. The act aimed to improve homeland security by: