ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 14, Number 107
November 4, 2005

In This Issue: Sanders' Freedom to Read Language Dropped
Today, House-Senate negotiators dropped language that would 
restrict searches of library and bookstore records under the USA 
PATRIOT Act from the $57.9 billion FY06 Commerce-Justice-Science 
spending bill. Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) had added the language 
protecting library records as an amendment to the House Science-
State-Justice Subcommittee (SSJC) appropriations bill earlier this 
year. The Sanders amendment passed the House in June in a stunning 
238-187 victory. 

The appropriations bill funds the Justice Department and Sanders' 
amendment proposed to bar the Department from using any of the 
appropriated money to search library and bookstore records under 
Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act. The bill had drawn a veto 
threat from the White House. 


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