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Wednesday, July 30, 2003

House Members limit scope of 'Patriot Act' 

Posted by Nick : 12:37 PM

From a FNC story:

"I think [law enforcement officials] are trampling on our rights and they are doing it in the name of trying to protect us from domestic terrorism," said Rep. Butch Otter, R-Idaho.

Otter led the fight for an amendment to the State, Commerce and Justice departments' spending bill that passed the House last week. The amendment stops funding for so-called "sneak and peek" searches, where federal agents first conduct a search, then notify the suspect after the fact.

The Supreme Court first found "sneak and peek" constitutional in 1979. The Patriot Act, which passed the Congress by a margin of 98-1 in the Senate and 357-66 in the House of Representatives in the weeks following Sept. 11, codified how that power is used by federal officials.

If made into law, Otter's amendment would prohibit the use of funds to ask a court to delay notice of a search warrant.
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