Third Congressional District Representative Vern Ehlers voted yesterday in favor of a bill that extended the USA PATRIOT Act. The vote, 257-117, extended or made permanent the most controversial portions of the USA PATRIOT Act, eliminating the so-called “sunset” provisions on fourteen sections of the act that were set to expire this year and renewing for ten years provisions allowing roving wiretaps and investigations of library records. Last week, the House Judiciary Committee rejected a series of amendments designed to curtail the most controversial provisions, including investigations into library and bookstore records. The PATRIOT Act must still be renewed by the Senate.
Back in February of 2004, the Grand Rapids City Commission passed a resolution opposing the USA PATRIOT Act. Similar resolutions have been passed in 390 municipalities. While the Grand rapids resolution was forwarded on to Representative Vern Ehlers, as stipulated in the resolution text, Ehlers has consistently supported the Act overall while arguing against the Act’s Section 215 that allows library and bookstore records to be investigated.
Lakeshore Representative Pete Hoekstra, of the 2nd District, also voted in favor of the bill. Representative Ehlers and Hoekstra also voted in favor of a Resolution in the House Wednesday opposing an “early withdrawal” of troops from Iraq.
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