Anti-Terrorism Authority. The Senate passed two versions of the antiterrorism bill: S. 1510 and H.R. 3162. The latter became law (see House bill below for a summary of the legislation in its final form) Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), who warned that the bill’s new police and surveillance provisions threatened civil liberties, was the only senator to vote against S. 1510 and H.R. 3162.
[ Anti-Terrorism Authority. H.R. 3162, known as the "USA Patriot Act," was passed by the House on October 24th, passed by the Senate the next day, and signed into law the day after that. The Act, introduced in response to the September 11th terrorist attacks, gives law enforcement and intelligence agencies vast new powers to combat terrorism. It expands the list of crimes deemed terrorist acts; increases the ability of law enforcement to secretly search homes and business records; expands the FBI’s wiretapping and surveillance authority; and provides for nationwide jurisdiction for search warrants and electronic surveillance devices, including the legal extension of those devices to e-mail and the Internet. The bill includes a "sunset" provision under which the new surveillance powers "shall cease to have effect on December 31, 2005." The very presence of that provision underscores the justifiable concern of some lawmakers that those new powers could be abused. ]
The Senate passed S. 1510 on October 11, 2001 by a vote of 96 to 1 (Roll Call 302). We have assigned a plus to the lone nay.
