Title: USA Patriot Act of 2001 | The First Amendment Encyclopedia
Headings: USA Patriot Act of 2001 (2001)
USA Patriot Act of 2001 (2001)
By Dale Mineshima-Lowe (Updated July 2019 by Deborah Fisher)
Patriot Act was meant to help deter future terrorist attacks
Patriot Act expanded government authority to conduct secret searches and surveillance
Critics say Patriot Act weakened privacy rights by allowing government access without probable cause
Patriot Act provisions have been questioned on First Amendment grounds

Content: The act gives federal officials sweeping and expanded authority to track and intercept communications for law enforcement and intelligence-gathering purposes. It provides law enforcement with investigatory tools for the purpose of deterring and punishing acts of terrorism within the United States and abroad. Met initially with strong support, the USA Patriot Act has since garnered criticism on the grounds that, in the fight against terrorism, it treads heavily on citizens’ civil liberties and First Amendment rights. Patriot Act was meant to help deter future terrorist attacks
Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks the federal government moved swiftly to respond, taking steps to avoiding a repeat of the atrocities and implementing preemptive measures against those suspected of having connections to terrorist groups both inside and outside the United States. The bill that emerged in Congress — Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 — is commonly known as the Patriot Act. The act passed through Congress with widespread support. Senate passage occurred on October 11, 2001, and House passage occurred the next day. The House passed a “clean” bill on October 24, 2001, which both incorporated and resolved differences between the House and Senate measures. The Senate agreed on the changes the following day, with just one dissenting vote and one nonvoting member. President George W. Bush signed the bill into law on October 26, 2001.