U.S. House to Consider FISA Bill Sans Telco Immunity

The bill is coming out of committee in the House and should get a floor vote this afternoon. It grants the president many of the powers he wants for roving wiretaps, but it doesn't immunize the phone companies for going along with the administration's previously illegal use of those powers.

From the story Tempers Flare on FISA:

President Bush wasted little time weighing in on the House, issuing a statement Thursday morning blasting the measure and promising a veto if it were to pass the Senate.

“Members of the House should not be deceived into thinking that voting for this unacceptable legislation would somehow move the process along,” he said.

The bill would not grant retroactive immunity to the telecommunications companies that aided the government in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and would include a court approval process for FISA warrants—two measure that have led Republicans to call the bill “dead on arrival.”

No telco immunity is a good thing and Bush's arguments that we sleep less safely without this bill are a red herring. Remember...there's already a secret court that has never rejected a request for a secret warrant for the NSA.

The phone companies broke the law by going along with the White House's illegal requests, and they should therefore be forced to face lawsuits from their customers. Just because the government asks you to do something doesn't mean it's right, nor does it mean you should comply. This is America. When the President asks you to do eavesdrop on parties in this country, you should say, "Sir, may I see the warrant?"

I think it's important to send this bill back to the Senate and get them to send it to George Bush. He can either have the war powers he wants or he can cover his ass...he can't have both.

Money quote:

“Once again, the President continues to try to bully the Congress and mislead the American people on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act,” said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) in a statement put out just minutes after the president’s.

“He refuses to accept that under our system of government, neither the President nor the telecommunications companies gets to decide which laws to follow and which to ignore.”

posted by Ironghost on 03/13/08 at 12:00 PM

posted by iTodd on 03/13/08 at 12:52 PM

posted by Ironghost on 03/13/08 at 02:20 PM

posted by iTodd on 03/14/08 at 08:44 AM

posted by Tim S on 03/16/08 at 08:59 PM