Template:Stub The USA Patriot Act (formally, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001) was an act passed by Congress following the 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center. The act passed nearly unanimously by the Senate 98-1, and 357-66 in the House, with the support of members from both political parties[1]. Its purpose is to assist the federal government in preventing future terrorist attacks by giving investigators of suspected terrorists the same tools that have always been available to those who investigate drug trafficking and organized crime.
Despite the cries of liberal and civil libertarian groups, such as the ACLU, the FBI reports that there have not been any verified abuses of any of the provisions of the Patriot Act[2] nor any terrorist incidents causing loss of life on American soil since its passage.
Eight states (Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana and Vermont) and 396 cities and counties (including New York City; Los Angeles; Dallas; Chicago; Eugene, Oregon; Philadelphia; and Cambridge, Massachusetts) have passed resolutions condemning the Act for attacking civil liberties.
Revisions
In the wake of the controversy over the firings of US attorneys by the U.S. Justice Department, Congress moved to strip the Patriot Act of the provision permitting the Attorney General to appoint new US attorneys without the advice and consent of the Senate. The Bush Administration made no objection.[Citation Needed]