In a 227-183 vote, the lower chamber late Thursday adopted a non-binding resolution condemning several news organizations, in particular the New York Times, a long-time critic of Bush and the first to report on the banking espionage.

"The front-page story in the New York Times cut the legs out from under this program," said resolution author Michael Oxley.

"Now, the terrorists are well informed of the details of our methods and will find other ways to move money outside of the formal financial system.

"Now, the terrorists will be driven further underground, and we will have to invest further years of work to uncover the new methods," he said.

Opposition Democrats voted against the text, calling it a political maneuver just four months away from November legislative elections.

The New York Times and several other US dailies reported a week ago on an ultra secret CIA program since 2001 to spy on international banking through Swift, a transaction house based in Belgium.

The disclosure enraged Republican lawmakers with some calling for a ban on New York Times reporters in Congress and others for the newspaper be prosecuted for treason.