The Senate voted 98-1 in favor of H.R. 3162, Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism, also known as the PATRIOT Act. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) voted “nay.” Among other powers, the measure gives law enforcement agents new power under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), allows wiretaps in foreign intelligence to apply to individual suspects rather than individual phone lines, and triples the number of Border Patrol, Customs Services, and INS inspectors assigned to the northern border. It also allows sharing of foreign intelligence and counterintelligence information obtained grand jury proceedings and wiretaps.

9:29AM - 2:32PM ETSenate Session