Intel Chairman Says Spy Bill Negotiations Could Take "weeks"

Senate Intelligence Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) says House Democratic leaders continue to feel like they were "jammed" by a more aggressive Senate version of a key intelligence bill and any breakthrough on the surveillance legislation could take weeks.

Portions of the Protect America Act expired earlier this month, setting of a vicious rhetorical battle in which Republicans have claimed key intelligence is being lost while Democrats contend the White House is engaged in "fear mongering."

Rockefeller, who sided with the White House in backing a foreign intelligence surveillance bill that would grant retroactive lawsuit immunity to telecommunications firms, says he has been in negotiations with House and Senate Democrats on a compromise bill, but Republicans have refused to participate.

Congressional Republicans and the White House say they will settle for nothing short of the broad, Senate passed bill that would provide blanked immunity for phone companies that helped spy agencies conduct surveillance. House Democratic leaders felt like the Senate saddled them with a bill they couldn't support, and instead allowed the Protect America Act to lapse.

"I'm negotiation with them [House leaders], and they've been jammed twice" by more aggressive Senate bills, Rockefeller said. "I respect that, and we're going to work something out."

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday negotiators were "having good discussions" on the issue, but he declined to discuss whether there was any compromise in the works.