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House Anti-Terrorism Legislation May Effect Clinic Violence

The House of Representatives has produced its own anti-terrorism bill, the Provide Appropriate Tools to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (PATRIOT) Act. This bill defines a terrorist act as certain crimes (such as bombing and threats to use chemical weapons) done with the motive to influence or change the government, and grants the government additional powers to pursue those suspected of terrorist acts.

The PATRIOT Act does fulfill several requests of the Bush Administration, including an increase in federal authority for wire taps and computer surveillance. However, the PATRIOT act contains two significant limitations to the authority sought by Bush; the entire act, and all of the procedures it authorizes, expires after two years and the Department of Justice will not be given authority to hold non-citizens for unlimited periods of time.

Senator Leahy is also putting forward his own anti-terrorism legislation and has stated that he will not rush to vote on any bills.

Sources:

New York Times - October 2, 2001, Feminist Majority Foundation

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