White House seeks to maintain Patriot Act
A spending bill that could
weaken reach of the USA
Patriot Act may be vetoed
ALAN PRAM
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
WASHINGTON — The White
House threatened Wednesday to veto a
wide-ranging spending bill if the House
uses it to weaken the USA Patriot Act,
raising the prospect of an election-year
fight over President Bush's quest for ex
panded powers to counter terrorists.
The warning came as Rep. Bernard
Sanders, I-Vt., prepared to try
amending the spending measure
with a provision making it harder
for the government to order libraries
or book sellers to provide records to
investigators. The vote seemed
likely to occur Thursday.
The USA Patriot Act, passed in the
aftermath of the terrorist attacks of
Sept. 11, 2001, strengthened the gov
ernment's surveillance and detention
powers. Bush has since tried
to expand its reach, but the bill has
been criticized by Democrats
and conservative Republicans for go
ing too far.
Sanders was planning to offer his
amendment to a bill providing $39.8
billion next year for the departments
of Commerce, Justice and State. That
is $2.2 billion more than this year's
total and $240 million beyond what
Bush proposed for 2005.
In a memo to lawmakers, the
White House budget office warned
that if an amendment "that would
weaken the USA Patriot Act were
adopted and presented to the
president for his signature,
the president's senior advisers would
recommend a veto."
But Sanders — whose amendment
has been supported by conservatives,
including Rep. Butch Otter, R-ldaho
— said it was wrong for the govern
ment to be able to demand informa
tion about the books that individuals
purchase or borrow.
"That is not, I believe, what this
country is about," Sanders said.
Sanders was trying to block a USA
Patriot Act provision that lets inves
tigators get court orders requiring
book dealers, libraries or others to
surrender records. The orders are
issued by a special court that handles
foreign surveillance intelligence cas
es, and are easier to obtain than
search warrants or subpoenas.
The Senate has yet to write its ver
sion of the bill.
By 281-137, the House voted to
boost the Small Business Administra
tion's budget by $70 million, to $742
million. The sponsors, Reps. Donald
Manzullo, R-Ill., and Nydia Ve
lazquez, D-N.Y., said they would use
the money to head off increased fed
eral borrowing fees that small busi
ness owners face this fall.
The sponsors took the money
from other accounts in the bill,
mostly Justice Department salaries
and automation, despite arguments
that the cuts would hinder home
land security efforts. The vote under
scored the potency of one theme of
the presumed Democratic presiden
tial ticket, Sens. John Kerry of
Massachusetts and John Edwards of
North Carolina: that the middle class
faces an economic squeeze.
The bill also would:
• Bar federal investigators from giv
ing civil courts the data they gather to
trace whether guns have been used in
crimes. The provision is designed to
block New York City from obtaining
records for its suit claiming gun man
ufacturers and dealers are using prac
tices that let criminals get guns.
• Forbid the Justice Department
from providing legal support for the
use of torture by federal officials or
government contractors, a reaction to
the prisoner abuse at Iraq's Abu
Ghraib facility.
Alan Frayn is a writer
for the Associated Press.
Bush, Kerry among top 2 percent in U.S. income
Some claim less wealthy
candidates are less
successful with voters
BY GENARO C. ARMAS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
WASHINGTON — Americans
have a choice in November — they
can vote for millionaires John Kerry
and John Edwards, or cast their bal
lot for millionaires George W. Bush
and lOick Cheney.
Of the foursome, Vice President
Cheney and his wife, Lynne, report
ed adjusted gross income of $1.3
million, according to their 2003 tax
returns. That's more than the other
candidates reported and far more
than what the typical American fam
ily brings home: The median house
hold income in 2002 was slightly
more than $42,400, according to the
Census Bureau. Only about 2
percent of homes make more
than $200,000.
Count the Bush, Kerry, Cheney and
bdwards clans among those 2 percent.
Bush and his wife, Laura, listed
$822,126 in adjusted gross income
on their 2003 returns, while Kerry's
income was about $393,000. The
four-term Massachusetts senator has
four trusts worth between $430,000
and $2.1 million.
The Democratic candidate filed his
return separately from his wife, Teresa
Heinz Kerry, heiress to the $500 mil
lion Heinz Co. fortune. She released
information showing earnings of at
least $5 million in 2003.
Bush, a former oil company execu
tive, major league baseball owner and
governor ofTexas, lists among his assets
his beloved 1,583-acre Texas ranch,
worth between $1 million and $5 mil
lion. He also has U.S. Treasury notes
valued at $5 million to $8.7 million.
Cheney, who once headed the oil
company Halliburton Co., has between
$15 million to $75 million in tax-ex
empt bond funds and $2 million to
$ 10 million in stocks being handled by
a global investment management firm.
Edwards, the North Carolina sena
tor and Kerry's running mate, hasn't
released his 2003 returns. He did file
a financial disclosure statement that's
required of the president, vice presi
dent, Cabinet secretaries and mem
bers of Congress.
In the statement, Edwards disclosed
income of at least $680,000 last year, al
though that's a conservative estimate
because lawmakers are allowed to list
their income on disclosure forms in
019356
Furnished 1,2, & 4 bedroom
apartments with washer/dryer
starting at $300.
of amenities—
come take a tour today!
-*°°° ®
universiTY
COMMONS
apartments
90 Commons Drive, Eugene, Or 97401
broad financial ranges.
While those statements lack the
specifics of a tax return, they do offer a
glimpse into the personal wealth of
politicians. The net worth of Bush,
Cheney, Kerry and Edwards runs well
into the millions.
Edwards, the son of a two mill work
ers, built most of his wealth as a highly
successful trial attorney, winning $150
million worth of verdicts or setdements
in the 1990s. His financial statement
shows assets of at least $19 million. Last
year, Edwards sold his Washington,
D.C., home for $3 million, $800,000
more than what he paid for it in 1999.
Running for national political of
fice takes millions and millions, so
having millionaire candidates isn't
unusual, Charles Lewis, executive di
rector of the Center for Public Integri
ty, a nonpartisan watchdog group,
said Wednesday.
"Unfortunately, it's not," Lewis
said. "It's a sad commentary on
our system."
Lewis said a voter may instead con
sider how a candidate made their
money, or in what profession, rather
than if they are wealthy. He also noted
that in this year's Democratic primar
ies, less wealthy candidates such as
Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri and Al
Sharpton weren't popular with voters.
Terry Madonna, a political scien
tist at Franklin & Marshall College in
Lancaster, Pa., said he didn't think
the typical voter "sees (rich candi
dates) as hypocrisy or as inconsis
tent. For the voters that matter, they
will look at positions and policies
more than anything else."
Genaro C. Armas is a writer
fdr the Associated Press.
019377
‘S'uzc&i ‘R.e&tauntutt
f We offer American
'Seat fEneatyaat in Homt!
Daily Breakfast Specials
$4.25 (7-11 am)
Weekly Omelette Specials $5.95
Ask about our daily
specials!
We serve breakfast
all day!
Breakfast • Lunch
*6“
^ice & ’TUodte Soco&i
Chicken, Beef & Tofu
also featuring Korean style ribs and spicy pork
Try our biggest & best
Pancakes & Omelettes!
Vegetarian Breakfast
Open Daily 7am-3pm . 7 days a week
We take reservations for parties up to 25
343-1542 • fax 341 -6437* 1689 Willamette