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House Extends Section 215 for Another DecadeBy a vote of 257–171, the House of Representatives July 21 approved legislation (H.R. 3199) proposed by Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) that would make permanent 14 of the 16 expiring provisions of the USA Patriot Act and place 10-year sunsets on Sections 215 and 206, CNN reported July 22.One proposed amendment that would have renewed the expiring provisions for just four more years was narrowly defeated 209–218. “The House missed an opportunity to establish a more reasonable sunset,” said ALA Washington Office Executive Director Emily Sheketoff. “We hope that the Senate bill will offer a more realistic schedule for the continued necessary oversight,” she added. While another amendment—sponsored by Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)—requiring the FBI director to personally approve any requests for library or bookstore records passed easily in a 420–26 vote, some lawmakers criticized the House Rules Committee for refusing to even allow consideration of 27 of 47 other proposed amendments. Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who had offered an amendment similar to a measure the House approved in June as part of a Department of Justice appropriations bill that would prevent the Justice Department from obtaining library and bookstore records, called the decision by the committee’s Republican leaders to refuse his amendment “an outrageous abuse of power,” the New York Times reported July 22. Also July 21, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved legislation (S. 1389) by Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that would provide a more stringent standard for seeking orders under Section 215 and would sunset the provision in 2009. “We are hopeful that reader privacy protections will be restored when H.R. 3199 is conferenced with the Senate bill,” Sheketoff said. Posted July 22, 2005. |
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