Recently the Bush administration and several lead Republicans in Congress have begun pushing to make permanent the governmental powers temporarily expanded by the USA Patriot Act. The USA Patriot Act, which greatly expanded the government’s ability to spy on citizens, only gained wide support when many of the critical provisions were designed to expire or sunset at the end of 2005, unless Congress re-authorizes them. A recent proposal drafted by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) would repeal the sunset provisions and make all of the new powers permanent. The idea faces strong opposition from many Democrats and even some key Republicans. House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) has already voiced deep reservations about making the new powers permanent. Sensenbrenner stated that the Department of Justice has not been sharing enough information with Congress to allow a fair evaluation of how well or poorly the USA Patriot Act is working. The debate may bring needed attention to the expansion of secrecy and reduction in government accountability that has occurred under the USA Patriot Act and the Homeland Security Act.