Includes Civil Liberties Protections, Cracks Down on Methamphetamine Epidemic

Washington, May 7, 2005 -

Today U.S. Congressman John Carter (TX-31) applauded final House passage of the USA PATRIOT and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act, which will help law enforcement personnel keep our country safe from terrorist threats. The bill makes permanent a number of policies that have been critical to keeping our homeland secure, while ensuring the protection of Americans’ civil liberties. It also includes language to address the growing problem presented by methamphetamine.

“Over the past four years, the PATRIOT Act has been a key tool for our law enforcement personnel as they work to keep our country safe from terrorist threats.  This reauthorization will ensure that our law enforcement personnel continue to have the tools they need to protect our nation,” Congressman Carter said. “Methamphetamine abuse is a growing problem throughout communities across our country and a clear and present danger to our children, as more and more young lives are ensnared by this deadly drug.  This bill will help halt this deadly epidemic by making it more difficult to obtain the necessary ingredients and by tightening criminal penalties for those who traffic in this dangerous drug.” 

Specifically, this bill extends and makes permanent the following provisions from the PATRIOT Act of 2001, which did the following:

· Removed major legal barriers which prevented the law enforcement, intelligence, and national defense communities from coordinating their work;

· Allowed law enforcement to conduct surveillance of more terror-related activities and allowed the authorization of nationwide search warrants;

· Updated the law to reflect new technologies and new threats; and

· Increased penalties for those who commit acts of terrorism and those who harbor terrorist