Some more facts to offset the raving:

http://www.politechbot.com/docs/usa.act.final.102401.html

House debate over USA Act:
http://www.politechbot.com/docs/usa.act.debate.102401.html

How your House member voted:
http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2001&rollnumber=398

Background:
http://www.wartimeliberty.com/search.pl?topic=legislation

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http://www.wired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,47858,00.html
 
   USA Act Stampedes Through
   By Declan McCullagh (declan@wired.com)
   2:00 a.m. Oct. 25, 2001 PDT
 
   WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate is set to end a month-long debate over
   balancing freedom and security on Thursday by granting police more
   surveillance power and sharply curtailing Americans' privacy.
 
   Since the House of Representatives already has voted for the
   anti-terrorism bill (400 KB), the widely expected Senate endorsement
   would send the labyrinthine legislation to President Bush for his
   signature later this week.
 
   Approval in both chambers -- the House voted 357-66 for the so-called
   USA Act on Wednesday -- is set to take place as fears of anthrax have
   snarled the usual course of business on Capitol Hill and temporarily
   shuttered most of Congress' office buildings.
 
   The clandestine process that Senate and House leaders used to usher
   versions of the bill through the legislative process with little
   opportunity for public debate drew condemnations from a minority of
   politicians.
 
   "The report has just come to us," said Rep. Robert Scott (D-Virginia)
   during the debate that began Tuesday. "It would be helpful if we would
   wait for some period of time so that we can at least review what we
   are voting on, but I guess that is not going to stop us, so here we
   are."