USA_Patriot

Permits the Attorney General to indefinitely incarcerate or detain non-citizens based on mere suspicion, and to deny re-admission to the United States of non-citizens (including lawful permanent residents) for engaging in speech protected by the First Amendment.
Greatly minimizes judicial supervision of telephone and Internet surveillance by law enforcement authorities in anti-terrorism investigations and in routine criminal investigations unrelated to terrorism.
Expands the ability of the government to conduct secret searches -- again, in anti-terrorism investigations and in routine criminal investigations unrelated to terrorism.
Gives the Attorney General and the Secretary of State the power to designate domestic groups as terrorist organizations and block any non-citizen who belongs to them from entering the country. Under this provision the payment of membership dues is a deportable offense.
Grants the FBI broad access to sensitive medical, financial, mental health, and educational records about any individuals without having to show evidence of a crime and without a court order.
Allows large-scale investigations of American citizens for "intelligence" purposes, and the use of such intelligence by authorities to by-pass probable cause requirements in criminal cases.
Effectively eliminates the requirement of probable cause for searches (Fourth Amendment). The police can now enter your home at any time for any reason. They can search your home, your personal papers, your computer and your bank records without your knowledge or consent.
Puts the CIA and other intelligence agencies back in the business of spying on Americans by giving the Director of Central Intelligence the authority to identify priority targets for intelligence surveillance in the United States.
Allows searches of highly personal financial records without notice and without judicial review based on a very low standard that does not require probable cause of a crime or even relevancy to an ongoing terrorism investigation.
Allows student records to be searched based on a very low standard of relevancy to an investigation.
Law enforcement agencies don't need warrants to conduct searches. The FBI can go through your medical, financial and educational records without having to get a court order. Monitoring of telephone and cell phone calls, interception of e-mails and tracking Web site visits can all be done without having to bother with legal oversight.
Creates a broad new definition of "domestic terrorism" that could sweep in people who engage in acts of political protest and subject them to wiretapping and enhanced penalties.
Greatly restricts the right to free speech and freedom of association (First Amendment). The newly created crime of "domestic terrorism" gives the Attorney General and the Secretary of State the power to designate any group it chooses as a "terrorist organization."
The newly created crime of "domestic terrorism" is committed when a person engages in activity, "that involves acts dangerous to human life that violate the laws of the U.S. or any state and appear to be intended: to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping." This definition of terrorism easily allows prosecution of Zionist, Palestinian, environmental, civil rights, anti-globalization groups, etc., etc. for their dissenting views or direct-action protests. See Section 805.
Diminishes Due process (Fifth Amendment) and the right to a speedy and public trial (Sixth Amendment). If you happen to be someone that the Attorney General designates as a threat to national security, and are not a citizen, you can be imprisoned indefinitely without trial, despite the the Eighth (cruel and unusual punishment) and Thirteenth (punishment without conviction) Amendments.

The "USA PATRIOT Act" of 2001 (officially The "Uniting and Strengthening America By Providing Appropriate Tools Required To Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism," H.R. 3162) which President Bush signed into law on October 26, 2001, immediately enabled the following:

Permits the Attorney General to indefinitely incarcerate or detain non-citizens based on mere suspicion, and to deny re-admission to the United States of non-citizens (including lawful permanent residents) for engaging in speech protected by the First Amendment.

Greatly minimizes judicial supervision of telephone and Internet surveillance by law enforcement authorities in anti-terrorism investigations and in routine criminal investigations unrelated to terrorism.

Expands the ability of the government to conduct secret searches -- again, in anti-terrorism investigations and in routine criminal investigations unrelated to terrorism.

Gives the Attorney General and the Secretary of State the power to designate domestic groups as terrorist organizations and block any non-citizen who belongs to them from entering the country. Under this provision the payment of membership dues is a deportable offense.

Grants the FBI broad access to sensitive medical, financial, mental health, and educational records about any individuals without having to show evidence of a crime and without a court order.

Allows large-scale investigations of American citizens for "intelligence" purposes, and the use of such intelligence by authorities to by-pass probable cause requirements in criminal cases.

Effectively eliminates the requirement of probable cause for searches (Fourth Amendment). The police can now enter your home at any time for any reason. They can search your home, your personal papers, your computer and your bank records without your knowledge or consent.

Puts the CIA and other intelligence agencies back in the business of spying on Americans by giving the Director of Central Intelligence the authority to identify priority targets for intelligence surveillance in the United States.

Allows searches of highly personal financial records without notice and without judicial review based on a very low standard that does not require probable cause of a crime or even relevancy to an ongoing terrorism investigation.

Allows student records to be searched based on a very low standard of relevancy to an investigation.

Creates a broad new definition of "domestic terrorism" that could sweep in people who engage in acts of political protest and subject them to wiretapping and enhanced penalties.

Greatly restricts the right to free speech and freedom of association (First Amendment). The newly created crime of "domestic terrorism" gives the Attorney General and the Secretary of State the power to designate any group it chooses as a "terrorist organization."

(How did your Representative/Senator Vote?)

House Vote
Senate Vote

Other Items of Interest:

Pacifica Radio Newscast (4 minutes) on Military Tribunals

Military Tribunalator (Cartoonist Mark Fiore)

Cartoon (Tom Tomorrow)

The "USA PATRIOT Act" of 2001 (officially The "Uniting and Strengthening America By Providing Appropriate Tools Required To Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism," H.R. 3162) which President Bush signed into law on October 26, 2001, immediately enabled the following:

Permits the Attorney General to indefinitely incarcerate or detain non-citizens based on mere suspicion, and to deny re-admission to the United States of non-citizens (including lawful permanent residents) for engaging in speech protected by the First Amendment.

Greatly minimizes judicial supervision of telephone and Internet surveillance by law enforcement authorities in anti-terrorism investigations and in routine criminal investigations unrelated to terrorism.

Expands the ability of the government to conduct secret searches -- again, in anti-terrorism investigations and in routine criminal investigations unrelated to terrorism.

Gives the Attorney General and the Secretary of State the power to designate domestic groups as terrorist organizations and block any non-citizen who belongs to them from entering the country. Under this provision the payment of membership dues is a deportable offense.

Grants the FBI broad access to sensitive medical, financial, mental health, and educational records about any individuals without having to show evidence of a crime and without a court order.

Allows large-scale investigations of American citizens for "intelligence" purposes, and the use of such intelligence by authorities to by-pass probable cause requirements in criminal cases.

Effectively eliminates the requirement of probable cause for searches (Fourth Amendment). The police can now enter your home at any time for any reason. They can search your home, your personal papers, your computer and your bank records without your knowledge or consent.

Puts the CIA and other intelligence agencies back in the business of spying on Americans by giving the Director of Central Intelligence the authority to identify priority targets for intelligence surveillance in the United States.

Allows searches of highly personal financial records without notice and without judicial review based on a very low standard that does not require probable cause of a crime or even relevancy to an ongoing terrorism investigation.

Allows student records to be searched based on a very low standard of relevancy to an investigation.

Creates a broad new definition of "domestic terrorism" that could sweep in people who engage in acts of political protest and subject them to wiretapping and enhanced penalties.

Greatly restricts the right to free speech and freedom of association (First Amendment). The newly created crime of "domestic terrorism" gives the Attorney General and the Secretary of State the power to designate any group it chooses as a "terrorist organization."

(How did your Representative/Senator Vote?)

House Vote Senate Vote

Other Items of Interest:

Pacifica Radio Newscast (4 minutes) on Military Tribunals

Military Tribunalator (Cartoonist Mark Fiore)

Cartoon (Tom Tomorrow)

House Vote
Senate Vote