House Refuses to Curb Patriot Act

[peterh]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4290533,00.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 about 20 more minutes as they persuaded about 10 Republicans who initially supported the provision to change their votes.

``Shame, shame, shame,'' Democrats chanted as the minutes passed and votes were switched. The tactic was reminiscent of last year's House passage of the Medicare overhaul measure, when GOP leaders held the vote open for an extra three hours until they got the votes they needed.




They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security…..Benjamin Franklin

[G_j]

1. sigh..

..some background

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0708-01.htm

Published on Thursday, July 8, 2004 by Agence France Presse

White House Moves to Protect Right to Spy on Readers


WASHINGTON - The White House has gone to preventive war -- to protect the US government's newly-acquired right to spy on readers as part of counterterrorism investigations, promising to veto a multibillion-dollar spending bill if these powers are curtailed.

The shot across the bow was fired Wednesday, ahead of a widely anticipated amendment by Representative Bernie Sanders that would prevent Federal Bureau of Investigation and other government agents from using a secret federal intelligence court to gain access to the reading records of library or bookstore patrons as part of counterterrorism probes.

"We plan to introduce it on the House floor Thursday," Joel Barkin, spokesman for the independent lawmaker, told AFP.

If passed, the measure would be attached to a nearly 40-billion-dollar appropriations bill funding the Departments of Commerce, Justice and State in fiscal 2005.

But the White House will have none of it. Moving to nip the idea in the bud, the presidential Office of Management and Budget made clear it would rather see the whole appropriations bill die than allow changes to the USA Patriot Act.

..more..

[bkcc]

4. Shocking!

Next you'll be telling me that Tom DeLay is a partisan asshole.
;)

[Demeter]

2. Well, We are just going to have to curb the House

It was on the agenda, anyway.

[bemildred]

3. Yeah, boot them all out. Start over clean.

Same in the Senate too, but that takes four years to clean them out.

[pinto]

5. here's how you spin a "voting record":

(from the Guardian article)

"Thursday's showdown was over an amendment to a $39.8 billion measure financing the Justice, Commerce and State departments for next year."

(end)


Sooooo, all those Republicans who voted against the amendment voted "against" the $39.8 b for Justice, Commerce and State.

Which is not a lie, just inaccurate. My bad.

That's how the Kerry record has been distorted. Many of his votes, as a Democratic senator, have been against amendments and "points of order" connected to funding resolutions.

Pays to read the fine print.

[G_j]

6. shame!

``Shame, shame, shame,'' Democrats chanted as the minutes passed and votes were switched. The tactic was reminiscent of last year's House passage of the Medicare overhaul measure, when GOP leaders held the vote open for an extra three hours until they got the votes they needed"


:argh:

[Mari333]

7. NEVER FORGET

they have voted to curtail the Constitution of the United States...
vote those sons of bitches OUT
Republican whores and TRAITORS to the Constitution of the United States.

[atreides1]

9. There Is Only One Sentence For Traitors

And it isn't voting them out of office, enough said!!!

[thecrow]

8. Keep this kicking!

:kick:

[NewJerseyDem]

10. Link to the roll call

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll339.xml

Republicans voting yes:
Roscoe Bartlett (MD)
Mike Castle (DE)
John Duncan (TN)
Vernon Ehlers (MI)
Jeff Flake (AZ)
Tim Johnson (IL)
Mark Steven Kirk (IL)
Jim Leach (IA)
Jerry Moran (KS)
Bob Ney (OH)
Butch Otter (ID)
Ron Paul (TX)
Tom Petri (WI)
Jon Porter (NV)
Rick Renzi (AZ)
Mike Simpson (ID)
Curt Welson (PA)
Don Young (AK)

Democrats voting no:
Chet Edwards (TX)
Jane Harman (CA)
Adam Smith (WA)
Charlie Stenholm (TX)

Democrat voting present:
Zoe Lofgren (CA)

[Hawkeye-X]

11. Californians: Any reason why Zoe Lofgren

would vote Present instead of Yes?

That could have been it.

Hawkeye-X

[Thor_MN]

15. No, the a-holes would have held it until they had enough votes

to get their way regardless of how long it took. These Cheneyers will do whatever they have to to bend rules, while putting on blinders so that they can act indignant when payback comes around.

It makes me furious that they can get away with crap like this.

[MasonJar]

12. Boy, they just love setting themselves up, don't they? If only it

were not for BBV we would carry every state. This needs to go on tv in ads. Bush to veto provision excusing librarians from spying on the public.

[Blackaxe]

13. This thing is doomed.

If the Pubs can only swing a tie vote in an election year to prevent killing this thing then it's not long for this world. They'll try and shove it to the back burner until the eleciton, but after that this piece of crap law will be history.

[MaineDem]

14. I watched the debate in my Congressman's office

It was great to see the GOP Congressman from Idaho, I think, talk about eroding the Constitution.

I agree, shame shame shame on the House Leadership - the majority leadership. This sickens me.