The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to restrict the use of the USA PATRIOT Act in obtaining library records and bookstore sales. A bipartisan majority voted in favor of an amendment offered by Representative Bernie Sanders of Vermont that denies funding for FBI access to library and bookstore records under the Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act. Representative Sanders was the only member of the House to vote against the PATRIOT Act in 2001.
The 238-187 vote was the first defeat of any of the USA PATRIOT Act's provisions and the vote came as the White House began a campaign to extend provisions of the PATRIOT Act set to expire under its "sunset" provision at the end of the year.
