AP: White House threatens spending bill veto if Patriot Act is weakened

"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 expanded 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. . . .
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-Idaho - said it was wrong for the government to be able to demand information about the books that individuals purchase or borrow. . . ."