Many Utahns are concerned-and rightfully so-about the PATRIOT Act and its effect on the civil liberties of Americans. Many of these concerns have been addressed to me directly as a Member of Congress, so many that I think it is worth making an effort to sort out charges and counter-charges and reach an understanding about how we got to where we are, and where we want to go from here.

In the wake of the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the foiled attack on the Capitol Building, I was one of the substantial majority in Congress that voted to pass the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. I assure you that I voted after much deliberation, and that it was a very hard decision at the time.

Many have charged that Congress could not have read the bill before passing it. Perhaps not all of my colleagues had the opportunity to do so, but I did read the entire bill several times, and was only able to justify support after obtaining "sunset" provisions in several key sections. That means that these provisions-the ones I am most concerned about-will expire at the end of 2005 unless they are explicitly re-passed by Congress and signed by the president. I am currently examining possible legislation that would address tightening these sunset provisions so that we may help protect Americans' civil liberties.

Legislation has now been introduced to remove the sunset clauses, but I believe that that legislation will not pass-and that it should not pass-and that those troublesome powers temporarily delegated to the federal government should disappear, unless Congress and the American people make a mature decision to continue them, perhaps with modifications.

From this page on my website, you can access a lot of information about the Patriot Act. For example, if you would like to read the actual Act itself, CLICK HERE.

Most of you will not want to wade through the technical legislative language, so CLICK HERE for a section-by-section analysis of the Act in plain English, prepared by the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress.

You can visit the Department of Justice's new website www.lifeandliberty.gov, which was launched to educate Americans about how we are preserving life and liberty by using the USA PATRIOT Act.

Many criticisms have been made of the theory and practice of the Act. And of course the Act has its defenders. CLICK HERE for a list of links to critics and defenders—from the Right and Left.

There is a lot to dislike about the PATRIOT Act, and it is unlikely that we will all ever agree on how necessary it is, even in the face of unprecedented terrorist attacks on American civilians, and the continuing threat of more such attacks-or even worse ones. But I think it is important that we understand one another, and I hope that this page will act as a step to mutual understanding.

And in that regard, you should have an opportunity to make your own views known. So if you would like to ask a question about a specific aspect of the Patriot Act, or if you have read something in the papers about its operation, and you are curious about it, CLICK HERE to be taken to a Comment Page.

Whatever your views of the Act itself, I hope you will realize that Congress was trying, in its often inept way, to "provide for the common defense," as commanded by the Constitution. We are horrified by the death of thousands of our fellow citizens, and determined that it will not happen again.