Senate GOP Pushes Bush Wiretap Bill

(AP)  Senate Republicans blocked Democratic attempts to rein in President Bush's domestic wiretapping program Wednesday, endorsing a White House-supported bill that would give the controversial surveillance legal status.

Under pressure from the Bush administration for quick action, the full Senate could take up the measure next week.

Progress on a companion bill in the House was not as tidy, in part because GOP leaders and Mr. Bush are intensely negotiating restrictions it proposes on the surveillance program. Even as the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Chairman Arlen Specter's bill to the Senate floor on a party line vote, the same panel in the House abruptly canceled its scheduled markup.

The developments come amid a sustained White House campaign to persuade Congress to give the administration broad authority to monitor, interrogate and prosecute terrorism suspects. The administration is up against an election season in which Republicans are struggling to keep its majority with approval from a war-weary electorate.

Specter, R-Pa., has acknowledged that GOP lawmakers fighting for re-election may not embrace a measure bearing Mr. Bush's stamp of approval.

While refusing to give the president a blank check to prosecute the war on terrorism, Republicans on the Judiciary Committee kept to the White House's condition that a bill giving legal status to the surveillance program pass unamended. That's not a sure thing on the Senate floor, where several amendments await the measure.

The panel also approved other measures relating to the program, some of which contradict Specter's bill — meaning the possibility of even more debate on the Senate floor.

But Specter's bill survived the committee vote unchanged. Republicans defeated several Democratic amendments, including measures to insert a one-year expiration date into the bill and require the National Security Agency to report more often to Congress on the standards for its domestic surveillance program.

"We just don't want to see Americans' rights abused for the next 50 or 60 years because of an oversight on our part," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who joined some Republicans in opposing some amendments offered by her Democratic colleagues.

But Republicans countered that the bill represented the best deal on the matter and should not be amended.

The deal is part of the White House's election-season campaign to preserve its ability to fight the war on terror despite congressional concerns about civil liberties.

A parade of White House officials seeking support for legal tools against terrorists was to culminate Thursday with an appearance by Mr. Bush himself before House Republicans anxious to maintain their majority in the November elections.

Behind-the-scenes negotiations were intense Wednesday. As the Senate bill moved toward committee approval, the House Judiciary Committee abruptly canceled its markup that had been scheduled to happen simultaneously. The reason for the cancellation wasn't immediately clear.

Sponsored by Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., and endorsed by House GOP leaders, that measure would require the president to wait until an attack has occurred to initiate wiretapping without warrants, a provision administration officials say would hamper the White House's ability to prevent attacks.

Specter's bill would submit the warrantless wiretapping program to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court for a one-time constitutional review and extend from the current three days to seven days the time allowed for emergency surveillance before a warrant application is submitted and approved by that court.

Vice President Dick Cheney and other top aides encountered stiff resistance from senators and House leaders this week during visits to Capitol Hill. The standoffs raised questions about whether the president could unite Republicans on his anti-terror agenda before November's midterm elections.

[starlady2]

Adopting Communist policies such as the un-patriotic act is making Communist China, Korea very happy. no wonder they call the shots nowadays!

[sixpack6t9]

That slope is really not all that slippery---You don't catch terrorists with mass domestic spy operations, all you "catch" is honest citizen's speaking out and new info to blackmail your most powerful opponents.

Impeach Bush and his regime (before he screws something else up!)

[long_rider]

A classic example of party politics over riding the will, and good of the people.

[newsjeff-2009]

If the comment I made a few minutes offended people I say do not blame me, blame our government that has put corporate greed ahead of the average everyday American. I just believe if illegal immigration laws were enforced and more money spent on fighting domestic crime in this country we would all be safer. Republicans believe if everyone in America lives in poverty,but "gets by" and has food,water and a few basic needs they think everything in America is ok. I disagree with companies and colleges who say all Americans are lazy and dumb. I say what America's youth and middle-age working class want is fair wages,decent benefits,job security,decent retirement,and fair opportunities. American colleges,businesses,and all U.S. coporations will claim that there are "jobs Americans won't do" as an excuse to bring in and hire illegal immigrants or anyone who will work for unlawful,low wages and no benefits. Since our GOP controlled house and senate has blocked raising minimum wage I feel that could at least make companies pay at least the legal minimum wage rate as opposed to allowing illegal and potentially dangerous immigrants to this country, just to get "cheap labor". U.S. colleges need to understand that with cost of college education, college graduates deserve at least some decent wages and benefits to pay for school loans. Asking someone to go to college for years and not pay them fair wages and benefits is "highway robbery".

[newsjeff-2009]

JycAmerican if you want the government to spy in your bedroom or listen to your phone calls that is your business, however not all Americans including myself agree with that and I bet you can find people in your own home state that would agree with me on that and disagree with you. If the GOP wants to keep America safe I have a simple formula:protect and secure our borders,enforce illegal immigrant laws not make excuses for not enforcing them,enforce legal citizenship requirements for illegal immigrants and all other immigrants living here,focus on Bin Laden not Iraq, do not let colleges,U.S.corporations,and U.S.companies hire illegal immigrants or smuggle illegal immigrants or encourage illegal immigration just to get "cheap labor". Second colleges,universities,and vo-tech schools need to offer schooling,job training,and skills training to unemployed or jobless people in America as well as American workers living in poverty. You may disagree with me, but "Corporate greed for cheap labor" is what has encouraged and allowed illegal immigration and potentially dangerous terrorists into America, I know because one of the terrorists that flew one of the airplanes on 9-11-2001 went to Spartan Aviation School in Tulsa, OK. Very interesting.

[jycamerican]

Most all the people I've talked too about this subject agrees that our safty must come first, this terror thing is real. The democrats are burying their heads in the ground.. Thank God for George Bush!!!!!

[jetsetdog]

Impeach Bush & Cheney!

[jycamerican]

I'm all for whatever it takes to keep our country safe. Mr. president you can listen to any of my conversations and even spy into my bedroom any time if it will keep our country safe. Only those who have something to hide are fighting this. But they are so un-American. Whose side are they on??????

[clestes-2009]

We don't need to lose our freedoms just because Bush has stupid dreams of grandeur. He has totally lost touch with reality and should be locked away where he can do no damage.

Stay strong on our personal freedoms.

[stevyz1]

i agree with sharncedar this is a very serious slippery slope...