Title: George W. Bush signs the Patriot Act - HISTORY
Headings: George W. Bush signs the Patriot Act
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
George W. Bush signs the Patriot Act
FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.
ALSO ON THIS DAY
Whitney Houston earns her first #1 hit with “Saving All My Love For You”
Erie Canal opens
Infant receives baboon heart
Shootout at the O.K. Corral
Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner lets ground ball roll through his legs
“Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak is born
Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox.
An Ozzy Osbourne fan commits suicide
“Bloody Bill” Anderson killed
King George III speaks to Parliament of American rebellion
Benjamin Franklin sets sail for France
Japanese planes destroy the U.S.S Hornet
Brazil declares war on Germany

Content: George W. Bush signs the Patriot Act - HISTORY
ico_close
ico_facebook
ico_twitter
ico_youtube
ico_flipboard
ico_new_hamburger
ico_search
ico_maven_key
ico_facebook
ico_twitter
ico_youtube
ico_flipboard
ico_new_hamburger
Shows
This Day In History
Schedule
Topics
Stories
ico_search
ico_maven_key
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
October 26
ico_angle_down
October
ico_angle_left
ico_angle_right
October 1
October 2
October 3
October 4
October 5
October 6
October 7
October 8
October 9
October 10
October 11
October 12
October 13
October 14
October 15
October 16
October 17
October 18
October 19
October 20
October 21
October 22
October 23
October 24
October 25
October 26
October 27
October 28
October 29
October 30
October 31
Year
2001
Month Day
October 26
George W. Bush signs the Patriot Act
On October 26, 2001, President George W. Bush signs the Patriot Act, an anti-terrorism law drawn up in response to the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The USA PATRIOT Act, as it is officially known, is an acronym for “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.” Bush hoped the bipartisan legislation would empower law enforcement and intelligence agencies to prevent future terrorist attacks on American soil. The law was intended, in Bush’s words, to “enhance the penalties that will fall on terrorists or anyone who helps them.” The act increased intelligence agencies’ ability to share information and lifted restrictions on communications surveillance. Law enforcement officials were given broader mandates to fight financial counterfeiting, smuggling and money laundering schemes that funded terrorists. The Patriot Act’s expanded definition of terrorism also gave the FBI increased powers to access personal information such as medical and financial records. The Patriot Act superseded all state laws. While Congress voted in favor of the bill, and some in America felt the bill actually did not go far enough to combat terrorism, the law faced a torrent of criticism. Civil rights activists worried that the Patriot Act would curtail domestic civil liberties and would give the executive branch too much power to investigate Americans under a veil of secrecy—a fear not felt since the protest era of the 1960s and 1970s when the FBI bugged and infiltrated anti-war and civil rights groups.