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# What Happens If The Patriot Act Expires?

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/NR9ilmjR.m3u8" -->
## Video: What Happens If The Patriot Act Expires?

[Watch (HLS stream): What Happens If The Patriot Act Expires?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/NR9ilmjR.m3u8) (1:16)

![What Happens If The Patriot Act Expires?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/NR9ilmjR/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2015-05-30. When the Senate returns to work Sunday, it will have eight hours to re-authorize, reform or let the Patriot Act expire before its midnight deadline._


---

Jul 27, 2023 6:20 PM UTC

---

## More From This Series

[All Videos](https://time.com/video/)

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### 2016 Republican Presidential Debate: Chris Christie and Rand Paul Argue Over The Patriot Act

[The Nantucket Project: What David Rubenstein Bought as the Ultimate Act of Patriotism](/video/WEZTViU5/)

### The Nantucket Project: What David Rubenstein Bought as the Ultimate Act of Patriotism

[Obama Speaks Out Against Patriot Act in 2005](/video/5jkPkWHE/)

### Obama Speaks Out Against Patriot Act in 2005

---


## Transcript

Terrorists like Al- Qaeda and ISIL aren't suddenly going to stop plotting against us at midnight tomorrow. As for what will happen at midnight tomorrow is anyone's guess. The Patriot Act, which has been U. S. law for over a decade, is set to expire on June 1st, leaving the senate with eight hours to either reauthorize it or reform it. Failure to do either, the White House argues, could seriously undermine national security. There is no plan B. On Sunday, a vote is scheduled on the USA Freedom Act. The bill would extend several provisions of the Patriot Act, but stop the NSA's bulk collection of Americans' phone records.

Phone companies would instead retain the data The NSA would need on a case by case basis to obtain a court order for access. The bill already passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support, but in the Senate fell just three votes short of the 60 it needed to move forward. Section 215 of the Patriot Act is what the NSA uses to justify phone metadata collection. That's gotten the most attention. But there are other terror fighting tools, also set to expire. The Lone Wolf provision allows surveillance of suspects that aren't directly tied to terrorist groups. And the Roving Wiretaps provision is used to track suspects who switch their phones.

Absent a last minute deal, all three of those provisions will expire. The Justice Department has reportedly already taken steps to temporarily wind down the NSA's phone dragnet.

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