Does KISS understand the USA PATRIOT Act ?
- From: "Geneinstein" <ThizzIzzZZpinalKISS@xxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:39:12 GMT
The USA PATRIOT Act, commonly known as the "Patriot" Act, is an Act of
Congress that United States President George W. Bush signed into law on
October 26, 2001. The backronym stands for " Uniting and Strengthening
America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct
Terrorism Act of 2001" (Public Law Pub.L. 107-56).
The act expands the authority of US law enforcement agencies for the stated
purpose of fighting terrorism in the United States and abroad. Among its
provisions, the Act increases the ability of law enforcement agencies to
search telephone, e-mail communications, medical, financial and other
records; eases restrictions on foreign intelligence gathering within the
United States; expands the Secretary of the Treasury?s authority to regulate
financial transactions, particularly those involving foreign individuals and
entities; and enhances the discretion of law enforcement and immigration
authorities in detaining and deporting immigrants suspected of
terrorism-related acts. The act also expands the definition of terrorism to
include domestic terrorism, thus enlarging the number of activities to which
the USA Patriot Act?s expanded law enforcement powers can be applied.
The Act was passed by wide margins in both houses of Congress and was
supported by members of both the Republican and Democratic parties. Despite
widespread congressional support, it has been criticized for weakening
protections of civil liberties. In particular, opponents of the law have
criticized its authorization of indefinite detentions of immigrants;
searches through which law enforcement officers search a home or business
without the owner?s or the occupant?s permission or knowledge; the expanded
use of National Security Letters, which allow the FBI to search telephone,
email and financial records without a court order; and the expanded access
of law enforcement agencies to business records, including library and
financial records. Since its passage, several legal challenges have been
brought against the act, and Federal courts have ruled that a number of
provisions are unconstitutional.
Many of the act's provisions were to sunset beginning December 31, 2005,
approximately 4 years after its passage. In the months preceding the sunset
date, supporters of the act pushed to make its sunsetting provisions
permanent, while critics sought to revise various sections to enhance civil
liberty protections. In July 2005, the U.S. Senate passed a reauthorization
bill with substantial changes to several sections of the act, while the
House reauthorization bill kept most of the act's original language. The two
bills were then reconciled in a conference committee that was criticized by
Senators from both the Republican and Democratic parties for ignoring civil
liberty concerns. The bill, which removed most of the changes from the
Senate version, passed Congress on March 2, 2006 and was signed into law by
President George W. Bush on March 9, 2006.
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