Don't believe the hype. The Patriot Act is neither yet reauthorized as law nor does it properly protect our civil liberties.
The House version must be reconciled with the Senate version (S. 1389:) before the bill can be submitted for signature into law by the President.
Quickly, below, what's wrong with House version and how you can improve it.
The House version does not offer adequate protections against Section 215, the problems of which Billmon did a great job in his article Kissing the 4th Admendment Goodbye. (I also have in PDF (130 kb) a fact sheet–Health, Finance, Guns, Religion and Library).
If you are an American citizen, entirely innocent of any criminal activity or association with terrorism, the Patriot Act still applies to you. Indeed, under Section 215, the FBI
- does NOT have to show probable cause, or even reasonable grounds to believe, that you were involved in criminal activities;
- does NOT even need suspicion that you are an agent of a foriegn power or associate with members of a terrorist organization.
Yet the FBI can obtain not only your "business records" (which legally may include "medical records, psychiatric or psychological therapy records, education records, genetic records, insurance records, travel records" and more), but also "any tangible things" related to you.
No warrant. No probable cause required. Let me say that again: no warrant or probable cause required.
As for token library and bookstore protections offered by House version? The FBI can obtain eveything else--without a warrant or probable cause. Not exactly checks and balances in action.
Hence why many Americans--politically left, right and center--wonder if we're kissing the 4th Admendment goodbye. I never thought I'd stand back-to-back with Bob Barr, but on this we're brothers in arms. The Patriot Act as it exists in H.R. 3199 does that by--among other things--hollowing out the Fourth Amendment.
Please don't give up the fight now. We're in the final hours and an all-out effort is needed. Just take a few moments to contact your Senators.