Republican-Led House Defeats Effort to Curb Patriot Act

["Hamaker, Chuck" <cahamake@email.uncc.edu>]

Republican-Led House Defeats Effort to Curb Patriot Act

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 8, 2004

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Congress-Patriot-Act.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Republican-led House bowed to a White House veto
threat Thursday and stood by the USA Patriot Act, defeating an effort to
block the part of the anti-terrorism law that helps the government
investigate people's reading habits.

The effort to defy Bush and bridle the law's powers lost by 210-210, with
a majority needed to prevail. The amendment appeared on its way to victory
as the roll call's normal 15-minute time limit expired, but GOP leaders
kept the vote open for 23 more minutes as they persuaded about 10
Republicans who initially supported the provision to change their votes.

...

You win some, and some get stolen,'' Rep. C.L. Butch Otter, R-Idaho, a
sponsor of the defeated provision and one of Congress' more conservative
members, told a reporter.

Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., said he switched his initial yes vote to no after
being shown Justice Department documents asserting that terrorists have
communicated over the Internet via public library computers.

...

Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., read a letter from the Justice Department stating
that as recently as this past winter and spring, a member of a terrorist
group closely affiliated with al-Qaida had used Internet services at a
public library. The letter mentioned no specifics, Wolf said.

The bill is H.R. 4754