In 2001, the first Patriot Act was affirmed by a congress of men and women who did not, and could not, read the 132 pages that altered tens of thousands of pages of regulation.  To fluff the urgency, US-manufactured anthrax spores were mailed to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle – both of whom had been standing in concerned opposition to the rushed, sweeping and anti-Constitutional nature of the proposed Patriot Act.

A new federal department was created overnight – the Department of Homeland Security.  This new department "efficiently reorganized" 22 existing federal agencies under a new Homeland umbrella.  In reality, most of the dissected agencies fought any loss of authority, and maintained much of their old functions and networks, even as the brand new "streamlined" department stood up.