http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=43&ItemID=3952Amy Goodman: In another major setback for the Justice Department, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 309-118 to overturn key provisions of the Act.
It marks the first time the House or Senate has rolled back portions of the controversial Act which was approved with little debate one month after the September 11 attacks. Last night's vote attached a provision to a $38 billion appropriations Bill that would block the Justice Department from using any funds to secretly search homes. Over the last two years the Justice Department had overseen 47 of the so-called sneak and peek searches. The House is also expected to vote this week to roll back another provision of the U.S.A. Patriot Act that allows the F.B.I. to secretly obtain detailed information on patrons, from libraries and bookstores. Vermont congress member Bernie Sanders is one of the chief sponsors of that legislation. He now joins us on the phone. Welcome to Democracy Now! Congressman Sanders.
Bernie Sanders: Thank you.
Amy Goodman: Let's start off with what happened last night? The significance of that roll back.
Bernie Sanders: It was a big deal. And it was a very big surprise. The fact that almost all Democrats voted for the provision, and over half the Republicans did, showed the Justice Department for the very first time since the U.S.A. Patriot Act was passed, that there is massive discontent with the anti-civil liberties provisions in that bill. I think it was a great victory. Unfortunately yesterday, because the deal was made between the Republicans and the Democrats on the floor of the house, a number of us were not able to offer amendments. The amendment I would have offered would have stopped the F.B.I. from going into libraries and bookstores with virtually no probable cause, to determine the reading habits of Americans. We're going to fight hard to get that provision put into place. If we can't do it in the house, we'll do it in the Senate. But yesterday's vote -- by the way, I should tell you that the person who introduced that amendment was a conservative Republican -- conservative Republican. So I am feeling much more optimistic today than I did yesterday that the U.S. Patriot Act is going to get a very, very hard look and hopefully we'll be able to take out some of the onerous provisions in it.
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