In early 2006, Congress reauthorized the Patriot Act without fixing the law’s most fundamental flaws. On March 9, 2006, President Bush signed the flawed reauthorization bill into law.

While we are obviously disappointed with this outcome, the fight to reform the Patriot Act is far from over. Lawmakers have introduced legislation to ensure that needed changes are made to the Patriot Act, protecting our liberty and privacy. Both Congress and the courts are examining the National Security Letter (NSL) provisions of the act.

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Since the Patriot Act was first debated and passed, we’ve made tremendous progress. Thanks to your efforts, the White House was unable to secure the rubber stamp reauthorization and expansion of the Patriot Act it had hoped for. This debate over the need to protect our most fundamental freedoms laid the foundation for the public's rejection of the president's abuses of power, including the warrantless NSA program to spy on Americans. Now, more than ever, Americans are aware of the Bush administration’s reckless policies, and they are speaking out.

With our allies on both the left and the right, the ACLU will continue to push for reform of the Patriot Act's unwarranted and intrusive powers. We will also demand that the Bush administration stop its abuse of power and respect the rule of law. We hope that you will continue to join us in our efforts to keep America both safe and free.