Key Cloture Vote Set For Monday On FISA

With Senate Republicans blocking Democratic attempts to amend the FISA reauthorization bill, the Senate has set a cloture vote from early Monday afternoon, just hours before President Bush gives his final State of the Union address.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have been unable to agree on several Democratic amendments to the underlying FISA bill, approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee. Sens. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) all offered amendments to the legislation, but Republicans succeeded in blocking action on those proposals. McConnell then moved to hold a cloture vote on the underlying bill.

The FISA program will expire on Feb. 1, and both Bush and GOP congressional leaders have warned of grave intelligence failures if the legislation is allowed to lapse.

But Democrats argue that their amendments, which Reid called "tune-ups" to the Intelligence Committee package, would strengthen the legislation by widening prohibition on unauthorized surveillance of U.S. citizens.

An earlier FISA vote in the Senate today netted 60 votes, and if that coalition of Republicans plus conservative Democrats holds firm, then McConnell will get cloture. However, rank-and-file senators from both parties often support their leaders on cloture votes, so Reid may be able to keep Democrats in line, thus blocking cloture.

It is also unclear at this time if the "presidentials" — that is, senators running for the White House — will attend Monday's vote.