---
title: "Patriot Act"
year: 2001
canonical: "https://recap.at/2001/patriot-act"
slug: "patriot-act"
recapType: "global_event"
startDate: "2001-01-01"
---

# Patriot Act

> On this day (10/26), 25 years ago: The United States passes the USA PATRIOT Act into law.

On October 26, 2001, President George W. Bush signed the USA PATRIOT Act into law just weeks after the September 11 attacks. The sweeping legislation expanded government surveillance powers, allowing federal agencies to monitor communications and financial records with fewer judicial restrictions. It reshaped American counterterrorism policy and sparked decades of debate over security versus civil liberties.

## Summary

The USA PATRIOT Act is a landmark Act of the United States Congress, signed into law by President George W. Bush. The formal name of the statute is the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, and the commonly used short name is a backronym that is embedded in the name set forth in the statute.

## Key facts

- **Signed into law**: October 26, 2001
- **Days after 9/11**: 45 days
- **House vote**: 357-66 in favor
- **Senate vote**: 98-1 in favor (Russ Feingold sole dissent)
- **Official name length**: 141 characters (backronym acronym)
- **Initial authorization period**: 4 years (sunset clause)
- **Primary sponsor**: Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin)
- **Key expanded power**: Reduced judicial oversight for wiretaps and searches

## Timeline

- **2001-09-11** - September 11 attacks
  Al-Qaeda terrorists attack the World Trade Center and Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 people and prompting emergency legislative response.
- **2001-10-02** - Initial draft circulated
  Bush administration begins circulating counterterrorism legislative proposals within weeks of 9/11.
- **2001-10-12** - House Judiciary Committee vote
  Committee approves core surveillance provisions with minimal debate or amendments.
- **2001-10-24** - House passes bill
  Full House votes 357-66 to approve the legislation.
- **2001-10-25** - Senate passes bill
  Senate votes 98-1 in favor; Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) casts the sole dissenting vote.
- **2001-10-26** - Bush signs Patriot Act
  President signs legislation into law at the White House, declaring it necessary to combat terrorism.
- **2005-12-16** - New York Times reveals NSA program
  Times reports on classified NSA domestic surveillance program, renewing public debate over Patriot Act authorities.
- **2013-06-05** - Snowden leaks begin
  Edward Snowden's revelations expose the full scope of bulk metadata collection programs authorized under Patriot Act provisions.
- **2015-06-02** - USA Freedom Act signed
  President Obama signs reform legislation ending bulk phone records collection, the first major legislative rollback of Patriot Act authorities.

## Impact

The Patriot Act fundamentally altered the balance between national security and privacy in the United States. Its provisions—from expanded wiretapping authority to the creation of the National Security Agency's bulk metadata collection programs—became operational blueprints for post-9/11 counterterrorism for more than a decade, only becoming fully public after Edward Snowden's 2013 revelations.

## Sources

- [PATRIOT Act of 2001](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act) - Wikipedia

---
Canonical: https://recap.at/2001/patriot-act