Hoyer "very Hopeful" House Will Take Up FISA Next Week

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Thursday he is “very hopeful” the House will take up controversial electronic surveillance legislation next week, signaling a possible break in the impasse over the issue.

The White House and Republicans have been pushing the House to vote on a Senate passed update of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that includes retroactive immunity for telecom companies that assisted the government—a move House Democratic leaders have so far resisted.

Many moderate “Blue Dog” Democrats have been pushing Hoyer and the Democratic leadership to act before the spring recess, even if it means voting on the Senate bill.

On Wednesday, 20 moderate “Blue Dog” Democrats met with Hoyer to push for a vote on the electronic surveillance measure, according to Congressional Quarterly.

Democratic officials from both chambers have been meeting since the Protect America Act—a temporary FISA update---expired on Feb. 16 to try and forge a compromise on the immunity issue.

Republicans have boycotted the talks, saying the House should vote on the Senate bill immediately.

Led by a strong push from the White House, Republicans have argued that letting the PAA  expire places the country in danger by hampering the intelligence community’s ability to monitor terrorists’ communications—a charge Democrats deny.