Within six weeks of the horrendous events of September 11, 2001, a mere blink of the eye in the usual legislative process, Congress passed and the President signed into law, Public Law 107-56, the “Uniting and Protecting America by Providing Appropriate
Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act” also know as the “USA PATRIOT Act” or the “Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001.” It received bi-partisan support and near unanimous approval in both the United States
House and Senate. It is 132 pages long and amends approximately fifteen sections of the United States Code.