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 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. The Patriot Act, by amending old legislation and incorporating new provisions, has expanded greatly the authority of federal officials. In addition, executive orders and related legislation have further expanded federal power in the fight against terrorism. The act and its ancillaries aid federal authorities in their efforts to close off U.S. borders to foreign terrorists, detain and remove terrorists already within U.S. borders, and cut off financial resources utilized by terrorists and terrorist organizations. Patriot Act expanded government authority to conduct secret searches and surveillance
Law enforcement agencies are empowered with the means to conduct secret searches, surveillance of telephone and Internet communications, and acquisition of individuals’ private records (including medical and student records) without probable cause for the purpose of intelligence-gathering. One example of the federal government’s extensive reach involved its controversial seizure of telephone and cell phone records from telephone companies without being required to show reasonable suspicion or probable cause.