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Summary:
On Thursday, October 25, 2001, the Senate approved House-passed H.R.3162, the
Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to
Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act which bolsters the ability of
federal authorities to conduct criminal and intelligence investigations, to bar and expel
foreign terrorists from the United States, to separate terrorists from their sources of
financial support, to punish acts of terrorism, and to address the needs of the direct
victims of the events of September 11. The Act is a merger of two bills, S.1510, and
H.R.2975/H.R.3108 which had earlier passed in their respective Houses. It melds the
money laundering aspects of S.1510 with those of the free standing, House-passed
money laundering bill, H.R.3004. A variant of the House sunset provision survives, but
adjustments to the McDade-Murtha Amendment concerning the adherence of federal
prosecutors to local ethical standards do not. Detention authority over immigrants
suspected of terrorist connections remains; as do the benefits to immigrants victimized
by the events of September 11. The President signed the bill on Friday, October 26.
