There are serious problems with the Patriot Act.
One of the more disturbing sections of the Patriot Act deals with domestic terrorism. The definition of domestic terrorism is so broad that it could include virtually any action which tries to influence the government and breaks a law, as long as the action creates a “danger to human life.”
It also allows the government to seize the monetary resources of those participating in or supporting domestic “terrorism” by a mere assertion of probable cause.
One issue dealing with checks and balances is the FISA court. The FISA court is a secretive court which makes confidential rulings and no one but the Justice Department can appeal their decision. In the past, this court had been used to issue warrants in regards to intelligence operations. The Patriot Act now allows the Justice Department to go to this court to get warrants to investigate terrorism subjects in the United States, with practically no recourse for those being investigated.
It is John Kerry’s position that most of the powers granted in the Patriot Act aren’t bad. What is bad is how those powers have been, and can be, used. While Kerry understands that these powers are important in tracking down terrorists, one cannot deny fundamental constitutional rights in doing so.
Kerry said that he wants to keep 95 percent of the act, but also to make it so that the government cannot abuse the powers granted in the act.

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