U.S. Lawmakers Defy Bush on Wiretap Bill (House Rejects 21-Day Extension of FISA 191-229)

[Hissyspit]

Source: C-SPAN

US lawmakers defy Bush on wiretap bill

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US lawmakers defied a warning from US President George W. Bush Wednesday to reach a quick decision and agreed to debate a controversial wiretapping law for three more weeks.

- snip -

By a vote of 206 to 199 votes, the House agreed Wednesday to prolong its debate for three more weeks. "The bill the Senate passed yesterday, in my view, is unacceptable," said Democratic Representative Jane Harman, who chairs a homeland security subcommittee on intelligence and terrorism.

Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid charged that Bush was to blame for the standoff by secretly authorizing the wiretaps without Congress approval in 2001.

"Let's be clear: this is yet more proof that President Bush and his Republican allies are more interested in politicizing intelligence than they are about finding real solutions," Reid said. "Today, President Bush continues his bullying."

Read more: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/080213/usa/us_congress_intelligence_bush_4

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Then will it expire on Friday?

[Snotcicles]

2. Delete. nt

[maddezmom]

3. here's a link : US lawmakers defy Bush on wiretap bill

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/080213/usa/us_congress_intelligence_bush_4
!snip~
The Senate on Tuesday bowed to pressure and passed the controversial measure, part of the government's legal battery in the "war on terror."


But the bill faces stiff opposition from some Democrats in the House, particularly as it offers blanket legal immunity to telecommunications companies for possible violations of US law if they participate in the measures.


By a vote of 206 to 199 votes, the House agreed Wednesday to prolong its debate for three more weeks.


"The bill the Senate passed yesterday, in my view, is unacceptable," said Democratic Representative Jane Harman, who chairs a homeland security subcommittee on intelligence and terrorism.

[maddezmom]

7. and another link about the 191-229 vote

House Rejects Stopgap Extension of Electronic Surveillance Law
By Tim Starks, CQ Staff
In a revolt against the Democratic leadership, the House on Wednesday defeated a 21-day extension of a temporary law governing electronic surveillance.

Dozens of Democrats defected, as the short-term bill failed, 191-229.

The stunning rebuff followed a parliamentary war that raged all day on the floor. Democrats successfully tabled, 222-196, an appeal from the ruling of the chair that a GOP motion to recommit the 21-day extension and amend it with the text of the Senate bill was non-germane.

But that procedural vote — typically a party-unity test — was not the end of the story, as soon became clear. Instead, the stopgap measure (HR 5349) was torpedoed on final passage. Not a single Republican voted for the extension, while 34 Democrats — a mix of liberals and conservatives — voted “no.”

Silvestre Reyes , D-Texas, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said the next step on the surveillance legislation was unclear.

more:

http://cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002670346

[Iwasthere]

4. My heart is in my thoat

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.... Let it be true!

[Ian David]

5. I called my congress-critter on this today.

His staffer put me on hold while she went to check if he (Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massaschusetts) had a position on it.

Apparently not.

But then she told me she'd been getting a lot of calls on it today.

You'd think then, she would have had the answer on her desk sometime before I called then, but again, apparently not.

I'd be interested to see how he voted.

[Ian David]

6. Here's a good summary of what happened with the bill

February 13, 2008
House Debating a 21-Day FISA Extension

The bill is H.R. 5349, to extend the Protect America Act of 2007 for 21 days. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) rejects the arguments that the House needs more time, saying that if the House has time to investigate Roger Clemons, name post offices, and pass commemorations, then it has time to act to protect the United States.

First time we've seen a Rep. Rogers speech. Very, very good.

UPDATE (2:30 p.m.): From CQ Politics:

House Republicans engineered a series of procedural votes Wednesday in a bid to derail the Democrats’ proposed extension, which President Bush said he would veto. They argued that the House should simply take up and send to the White House a surveillance overhaul bill that the Senate passed by 68-29.

Because 21 conservative Blue Dog Democrats have endorsed the Senate-passed bill, Republicans might be able to win approval of the Senate bill through a motion to recommit the extension with instructions to amend it with the text of the Senate bill.

UPDATE (2:38 p.m.) The call goes out from the leftroots to pressure Blue Dog Democrats, with Daily Kos blogger McJoan urging, "Tell them to stop enabling the Republicans and Bush in taking away our civil liberties."

Funny, OUR civil liberties are not threatened by the narrowly targeted monitoring of communications by foreign nationals -- suspected terrorists -- that may be routed through U.S. networks. Which is, contrary to the assertions from FISA-swamps, what the bills does, as documented in the Senate Intelligence Committee's report on S. 2248.

UPDATE (2:50 p.m.) From The Foundry blog at the Heritage Foundation: "The House has had more than half a year to conduct this important debate. They will not learn anything new in another 21 days. It is time for them to act now."

UPDATE (4:15 p.m.): The House has voted down the 21 day extension, 191-229. We'll post the roll call when it becomes available, but clearly, many Blue Dog Democrats took a gutsy stand -- within their party, that is -- and voted against the legislation. Congratulations to them.


More:
http://blog.nam.org/archives/2008/02/house_debating.php

[cureautismnow]

8. Yes! Limit the Monkey-boy's power, not Strengthen It.

In other words, affirm your allegiance to the Constitution and tell Junior to go pound salt. :applause:

[fascisthunter]

9. So They Didn't Cave...... yet

They know how pissed we are already about immunity for telecoms, so it's best they hold off on another decision that will surely piss us all off before an election. Fuck you Reid. Your words are meaningless to me. Bush doesn't bully you.... you work for him you worm!

[Zorra]

10. Yeah! Way to go, Dem Reps! n/t

[MasonJar]

11. I am not clear why the blue dogs did us a favor. They obviously stopped

the 21 day extension, but they voted with the GOPers who did not want it either, since W was going to veto it. These blue dogs also were for the Senate version. I know that this means no law was passed today, but aren't they likely to vote for the Senate measure on the next vote. It seems the ones we should support are the ones who do NOT want the Senate version, now or ever. I am calling John Yarmuth, my rep.

[Usrename]

13. You're not the only one who doesn't get it.

There is no procedural or substanitive issue that makes sense for the blue dogs to do this. The only thing that makes any sense at all is that they care anything about the bill, but found a unique way a sending a message to BOTH the Republicans and Pelosi that they will stick together and not be muscled into compliance. It looks like a display of power, although everyone already knows the fate of the free-world is in their twisted, grubby hands.

I don't get it. And I don't see how it helps the blue dogs at all, unless Pelosi blinks, and my money is always going to be on Pelosi caving. I don't care what the spread is, she will always cave in the end. Maybe it's all an elaborate ploy for her to evade any and all responsibility when they bring the Senate version to the floor and pass it. I just don't know what any of these critters are up to any more.

[Miss Chybil]

12. Good... and a little kick. nt

[High Plains]

14. It's that rare occasion when I can actually applaud the House.

Thank you, ladies and gents.