A Larger Sunset Proposed for Patriot Act - October 20, 2003 Vol. 4 No. 21

October 20, 2003 Vol. 4 No. 21:

Published: 10/20/2003

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A Larger Sunset Proposed for Patriot Act

Several Senators troubled with the shroud of secrecy the government has put around its use of expanded surveillance powers granted under the US Patriot Act have proposed expanding the number of Patriot Act provisions that will automatically expire.

Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Larry Craig (R-ID), Richard Durbin (D-IL), John Sununu (R-NH), and Harry Reid (D-NV) recently introduced the Patriot Oversight Restoration Act of 2003 (S. 1695) to the Senate. The bill would expand the US Patriot Act’s “sunset” provision.

When the Patriot Act was originally proposed, some members of Congress were concerned about the new powers it granted the government. Advocates of the legislation justified these powers as temporary measures needed to jump-start an effort to fight terrorism. The sunset provision was included so that after five years several of the act’s provisions would expire. The new legislation proposes to apply the sunset provision to more than a dozen additional powers.

The bill formalizes a significant shift in attitude toward the Patriot Act. Previously, there had been talk in Congress of actually eliminating the sunset provision and making all of the new powers permanent.

The bill “will allow Congress to re-examine some of the important legal issues that abruptly confronted us in the weeks following September 11, and to re-assess our efforts with the benefit of hindsight and the luxury of time," explained Leahy.