House vote expected on spy bill

WASHINGTON -- Defying the Bush administration, the House is expected to vote today on legislation that would expand the government's wiretapping authority but stop short of giving telecommunications companies immunity from lawsuits for helping U.S. spy agencies.

The planned vote represents the latest in a series of showdowns between congressional Democrats and President Bush over a controversial espionage operation that involves monitoring international e-mail and telephone traffic that travels through networks in the United States.

Underscoring the stakes surrounding the issue, the Bush administration threatened Wednesday to veto the legislation. The threat was contained in a letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) from Director of National Intelligence J. Michael McConnell and Atty. Gen. Michael B. Mukasey.

The letter said the new House draft contains "unworkable provisions" and includes provisions that are "drastically different" from previous legislative attempts. The bill fails to give U.S. spy agencies the tools they need, and "the president will veto the bill," the two wrote.

The House bill would give phone companies legal protection for cooperating with the government on ongoing intelligence activities. But it would not shield AT&T, Verizon and others from dozens of lawsuits they are already facing for giving the government access to their networks under a secret warrantless wiretapping operation authorized by Bush after the Sept. 11 attacks.
House vote expected on spy bill - Los Angeles Times

:mad:I guess since these lawsuits are in California courts that puts Pelosi on the fine wire. A Dem dominate Senate passes the CORRECT version but of course Congress can't go along with that. Waste time and pass a bill that has NO CHANCE in Senate or being signed by Bush. Pelosi is nothing more than a power hungry bitch in my book.

Have a good one!:s4: