Page 8

	Web www.bigbrothergovernment.org

After the terrorist acts on September 11, Congress passed the "Patriot Act" to give police enforcement greater powers to detect and track potential terrorists.

Judge Strikes Down Part of Patriot Act

A federal judge struck down parts of the revised USA Patriot Act on Thursday, saying investigators must have a court's approval before they can order Internet providers to turn over records without telling customers.

Source: ABC News, September 6, 2007

Constitution Disregarded with Patriot Act Renewal

Although the Bush Administration and many members of Congress have defended the Patriot Act as an absolute necessity in combating terror, the legislation has encountered sharp opposition, particularly from civil libertarians and privacy advocates.  Opponents of the Patriot Act point out that this legislation enables the federal government to obtain the medical and financial records of virtually all Americans, in most circumstances, without due process.  In other cases, an individual’s Internet search record may be obtained without any evidence linking the individual to terrorism, or without the individual’s knowledge.

Source: National Libertarian Party, March 9, 2006

Bush Signs Renewal of Patriot Act

After a long battle with Congress that went down to the wire, President Bush signed a renewal of the USA Patriot Act on Thursday, a day before 16 major provisions of the old law expire.

Source: My Way, March 9, 2006

Patriot Act Renewal Clears Final Hurdle

Congress will extend the Patriot Act by passing two pieces of legislation. The first is the same accord passed last year by the House and filibustered in the Senate by members who said it contained too few privacy protections. The second is, in effect, an amendment to the first that adds enough privacy protections to win over those same libertarian-leaning Republicans.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is permitting no other amendments, allowing the measure to slide through both houses without extended debate.

Source: Breitbart.com, February 28, 2006

House Approves Extension of Patriot Act

The House voted to renew a modified USA Patriot Act to combat terrorism on Wednesday and sent the bill to the Senate, where opponents pledged a last-ditch fight against provisions they said would curtail individual liberties.

Source: My Way, December 14, 2005

Congress Arrives at A Deal on Patriot Act

House and Senate negotiators reached a tentative agreement yesterday on revisions to the USA Patriot Act that would limit some of the government's powers while requiring the Justice Department to provide a better accounting of its secret requests for information on ordinary citizens.

But the agreement would leave intact some of the most controversial provisions of the anti-terrorism law, such as government access to library and bookstore records in terrorism probes, and would extend only limited new rights to the targets of such searches.

Source: The Washington Post (online), November 17, 2005

Sources: Tentative Patriot Act Deal Struck

House and Senate negotiators struck a tentative deal on the expiring Patriot Act that would curb FBI subpoena power and require the Justice Department to more fully report its secret requests for information about ordinary people, according to officials involved in the talks.

The agreement, which would make most provisions of the existing law permanent, was reached just before dawn Wednesday.

Source: Breitbart, November 16, 2005