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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2001

Law enforcement would gain greater powers to snoop into private e-mails, tap into phone conversations and investigate persons suspected of terrorism under a bill approved by a House panel on Wednesday night.

Dubbed the Patriot Act, the 124-page bill gained the support of all 36 members of the House Judiciary Committee. But approval of the package, crafted in response to September 11's terrorist attacks, was not easy and came after two weeks of negotiation among House leaders and the White House.

Otherwise known as the Provide Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism, the act does not give the federal government all the powers Attorney General John Ashcroft sought when he told lawmakers of the bill's necessity. Open-ended and secret detention of legal and illegal immigrants, one of the most controversial provisions, was rejected.

Instead, the government would only be allowed to jail persons suspected of, or believed to have knowledge of, terrorism to seven days. After which, a person would have to charged with a crime or released.

Still, the bill represents what civil liberties advocates call a greater intrusion into private lives. The act makes it easier to track the activities of suspected terrorists, including seizing voice mail, e-mails and other electronic communications.

The act would also force telecommunications companies, including telephone companies and internet service providers (ISPs), into disclosing records about customers being investigated. Long distance calls, web sites visited and other data could be disclosed by government order. Interception of electronic conversations could be done more easily, and with the cooperation of telecoms, as well.

The House committee's approval comes as Senate leaders last night reached their own deal on an anti-terrorism package. Similar concerns about the rights of immigrants were also raised, leading Senate leaders to approve of language along the lines of the House regarding detention.

Judiciary Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) also voiced objections about the sharing of information between law enforcement agencies. After a night of what he called "complex and difficult" negotiations, he conceded with Department of Justice in allowing sharing without court orders, according to sources.

The House is expected to bring its version of the Patriot Act to the floor next week. The bill's chief sponsor is Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.), chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

The final contents of the Senate version will not be released until today, Leahy and ranking Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said in a statement last night.

Get the Bill:
To combat terrorism, and for other purposes (H.R.2975)

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