For Immediate Release

June 16, 2005

Contact: Judith Platt
Ph: 202-220-4551
Email: jplatt@publishers.org

Publishers Celebrate House Vote Cutting Off Funds for Searches of Libraries and Bookstores

The U.S. publishing industry joined in celebrating last night's vote in the House to cut off funding for FBI searches of bookstores and libraries under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act. The vote came on an amendment introduced by Rep. Bernard Sanders (I-VT) during consideration of the appropriations bill to fund the Justice, State and Commerce Departments, notwithstanding a threat from the White House to veto any measure that would weaken the PATRIOT Act. Almost a year ago the Administration fought off a similar amendment when the House Republican leadership held the vote open 20 minutes beyond its allotted time to persuade some members to change their vote. The amendment lost on a 210-210 tie. However, the threat of a White House veto did not stop passage of the amendment last night. The Association of American Publishers (AAP), the national trade organization of the U.S. book publishing industry, has been working with colleagues in the bookselling, library, and author community to restore civil liberties safeguards stripped away by Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, which allows the FBI to seize business records, including library and bookstore records, with virtually no oversight by the federal courts. AAP joined with the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association and PEN American Center in a "Campaign for Reader Privacy" to push for changes in Section 215 and to date the Campaign has collected and presented to Congress more than 200,000 signatures on petitions calling for reform. Promising the publishing industry's continued support in the fight to restore safeguards to Section 215, which is due to sunset at the end of this year, AAP President (and former Member of Congress) Pat Schroeder congratulated Congressman Sanders and other members of the House PATRIOT Act Reform Caucus-Democrats and Republicans-on last night's win. She said she particularly liked the description of the winning coalition, as "the crazies on the left and the crazies on the right meeting in the middle," which the Washington Post attributed to a staff member of one of the House Republican leaders. "Isn't that what representative democracy is all about?", Mrs. Schroeder asked. The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP's members include most of the major commercial book publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses, and scholarly societies. AAP members publish hardcover and paperback books in every field, educational materials for the elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and professional markets, computer software, and electronic products and services. The Association represents an industry whose very existence depends upon the free exercise of rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.

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