WASHINGTON, June 17: The US House of Representatives has voted to make the first changes to the Patriot Act by prohibiting authorities from obtaining records on library and bookstore patrons to determine people’s reading habits.
The change, which passed 238-187 at a Wednesday evening vote, comes as both chambers of Congress are debating the future of the Patriot Act and whether to extend 16 provisions that will expire at the end of this year unless both houses and the president approve their extension.
Thirty-eight Republicans joined 199 Democrats and Mr Sanders in supporting the amendment, while just one Democrat voted with 186 Republicans against it.
The vote came a day after President Bush told congressional Republicans, at a fundraising dinner, to keep the Patriot Act intact. The voting pattern indicates that Mr Bush will not win extension of all the provisions when Congress votes specifically on reauthorizing the 16 provisions later this year.
The new provision would prohibit law-enforcement from asking a special court for an order to search ‘library circulation records, library patron lists, book sales records or book customer lists’.
Under the Patriot Act, all the FBI had to do was tell the special court it was investigating terrorism and the court would have to issue the subpoena.
Investigators can still use regular courts and grand jury subpoenas to get information.
Earlier this week the Bush administration released a policy statement threatening a veto of the bill, and on Wednesday night a White House spokeswoman said it would continue to fight for all Patriot Act provisions.
