Reflecting on 9/11 & The USA PATRIOT Act

 

 Flight 93 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppKLF_HKXKc

Security, Liberty, and the USA PATRIOT Act

OVERVIEW

Following the terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, Congress enacted and President George W. Bush signed an intelligence gathering bill. Introduced as the Anti-Terrorism bill on September 19, 2001, it was signed into law on October 26, 2001 as the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, or USA PATRIOT Act. It passed by margins of 357-66 in the House of Representatives and 98-1 in the Senate. Through amending older laws and creating new provisions, this bill has given the United States government unprecedented power to gather intelligence. Controversy over some of the provisions of the act prompted Congress to implement a sunset clause regarding certain parts of it. These provisions would expire in 2011 unless Congress and the President reinstated them. Even though the PATRIOT Act has prompted vigorous debate, for the most part it remains in place today in its original form. Has the government found an adequate balance between liberty and security in its enforcement of the PATRIOT Act? What constitutional principles and liberties are at stake?

https://billofrightsinstitute.org/educate/educator-resources/lessons-plans/bill-rights-institute-curricula-resources/security-liberty-usa-patriot-act/