InsideGov
Congress · Laws

Protect America Act of 2007

Public Law 110-55 · S. 1927 · 110th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Aug 5, 2007 · Armed Forces and National Security

Sponsor: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Cosponsors (1): Sen. Kit Bond

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 227 yea, 183 nay227–183
  • SenateRecorded vote: 60 yea, 28 nay60–28
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Protect America Act of 2007 - Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to state that nothing under its definition of "electronic surveillance" shall be construed to encompass surveillance directed at a person reasonably believed to be located outside the United States.

Allows the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the Attorney General (AG), for periods up to one year, to authorize the acquisition of foreign intelligence information concerning persons outside the United States if the DNI and AG determine that: (1) there are reasonable procedures in place for determining that such acquisition concerns persons outside the United States, and such procedures will be subject to review by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Court); (2) the acquisition does not constitute electronic surveillance; (3) the acquisition involves obtaining foreign intelligence information from or with the assistance of a communication service provider or other person who has access to communications; (4) a significant purpose of the acquisition is to obtain foreign intelligence information; and (5) the minimization procedures (procedures to ensure the smallest level of privacy intrusion while obtaining such information) to be used meet the definition of minimization procedures under FISA. Requires such determination to be certified and submitted to the Court.

Requires the AG to report to: (1) the Court the procedures by which the government determines that such acquisitions do not constitute electronic surveillance; and (2) the congressional intelligence and judiciary committees semiannually concerning acquisitions made during the previous six-month period.

Terminates this Act 180 days after its enactment. Makes authorizations for the acquisition of information made by this Act, and directives issued pursuant to such authorizations, effective until their expiration.

Who voted for it

Every senator of the 110th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 60 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

60 yea28 nay12 present or did not vote

Dimension 2
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(17)

  • Sen. Amy KlobucharD-MN
  • Sen. Bob CaseyD-PA
  • Sen. Kent ConradD-ND
  • Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI
  • Sen. Barbara MikulskiD-MD
  • Sen. Dianne FeinsteinD-CA
  • Sen. Bill NelsonD-FL
  • Sen. Jim WebbD-VA
  • Sen. Claire McCaskillD-MO
  • Sen. Ken SalazarD-CO
  • Sen. Blanche LincolnD-AR
  • Sen. Mark PryorD-AR
  • Sen. Thomas CarperD-DE
  • Sen. Mary LandrieuD-LA
  • Sen. Joseph LiebermanD-CT
  • Sen. Ben NelsonD-NE
  • Sen. Evan BayhD-IN

Republicans who voted yea(43)

  • Sen. Olympia SnoweR-ME
  • Sen. Susan CollinsR-ME
  • Sen. Arlen SpecterR-PA
  • Sen. Gordon SmithR-OR
  • Sen. Norm ColemanR-MN
  • Sen. Ted StevensR-AK
  • Sen. Lisa MurkowskiR-AK
  • Sen. George VoinovichR-OH
  • Sen. John WarnerR-VA
  • Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM
  • Sen. Chuck HagelR-NE
  • Sen. Pat RobertsR-KS
  • Sen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA
  • Sen. Orrin HatchR-UT
  • Sen. Thad CochranR-MS
  • Sen. Kit BondR-MO
  • Sen. Mel MartinezR-FL
  • Sen. Robert BennettR-UT
  • Sen. Elizabeth DoleR-NC
  • Sen. Kay HutchisonR-TX
  • Sen. Bob CorkerR-TN
  • Sen. John SununuR-NH
  • Sen. Sam BrownbackR-KS
  • Sen. Richard ShelbyR-AL
  • Sen. Larry CraigR-ID
  • Sen. Mitch McConnellR-KY
  • Sen. John ThuneR-SD
  • Sen. Johnny IsaksonR-GA
  • Sen. Saxby ChamblissR-GA
  • Sen. Mike CrapoR-ID
  • Sen. Lindsey GrahamR-SC
  • Sen. John CornynR-TX
  • Sen. Jeff SessionsR-AL
  • Sen. Richard BurrR-NC
  • Sen. John EnsignR-NV
  • Sen. Wayne AllardR-CO
  • Sen. David VitterR-LA
  • Sen. Michael EnziR-WY
  • Sen. John BarrassoR-WY
  • Sen. Jon KylR-AZ
  • Sen. Jim InhofeR-OK
  • Sen. Thomas CoburnR-OK
  • Sen. Jim DeMintR-SC
Data notes

The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 309 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

Report a correction

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

Report a correction

Related bills

2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 3356Related bill

    Improving Foreign Intelligence Surveillance to Defend the Nation and the Constitution Act of 2007

  • S. 2011Related bill

    A bill entitled "The Protect America Act of 2007".

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.

  1. Sep 25, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
  2. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Judiciary Committee
  3. Aug 5, 2007Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 110-55.
  4. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  5. FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  6. Aug 4, 2007FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  7. FloorFloor · On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 227 - 183 (Roll no. 836).House roll call 836
  8. FloorFloor · The previous question was ordered pursuant to a previous order of the House.
  9. FloorFloor · DEBATE - Pursuant to a previous special order, the House proceeded with one hour of debate on S. 1927.
  10. FloorFloor · Considered pursuant to a previous order.
  11. FloorFloor · Consideration initiated pursuant to a previous order.
  12. FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  13. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  14. OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
  15. Aug 3, 2007FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  16. FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 60 - 28. Record Vote Number: 309.Senate roll call 309
  17. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  18. Aug 2, 2007CalendarCalendar · Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 324.
  19. Aug 1, 2007CalendarCalendar · Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
  20. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

Report a correction

Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 2649SenateSen. Mitch McConnellR-KY· offered Aug 3, 2007Agreed to

    To provide a sunset provision.

    Aug 3, 2007: Amendment SA 2649 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

Report a correction

Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.