House narrowly passes immunity-free surveillance bill

[Yes We Did]

Defying President Bush, the House of Representatives on Friday narrowly approved a surveillance bill that does not give in to White House demands to give legal immunity to telecommunications companies that facilitated his warrantless surveillance program.

The bill passed 213-197, with one lawmaker voting present. The vote came after weeks of wrangling between House Democrats and the White House over the update to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The bill fixes loopholes the Bush administration and Intelligence Community have said prevent surveillance of foreign communications that are routed through the US, while providing for more judicial oversight of surveillance procedures.

The House reached what Democrats say is a compromise on the immunity provision. The bill passed Friday allows companies to defend themselves in court with using classified justifications for the warrantless wiretapping program, and it precludes the administration from invoking "state secrets" privileges. The House bill also creates an independent commission to investigate Bush's warrantless wiretapping program.

The vote was quickly praised by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is representing plaintiffs in a lawsuit against AT&T in San Francisco, and the American Civil Liberties Union, which also has fought hard to prevent some 40 lawsuits against the telecoms from being invalidated.

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/House_narrowly_passes_immunityfree_surveillance_bill_0314.html

[0007]

1. damn it!

[Yes We Did]

2. No... Good thing. No immunity.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. Outrageous!

[Donnachaidh]

4. WHO voted present? And did we have traitors on the Dem Side?

Which of the Dems voted with the pukes?

[Jack Rabbit]

5. That's fine with me

The Frat Boy will veto it and in the end will get nothing.

True, the more straightforward thing to have done would have been what Congress traditionally does best (nothing), but this puts the onus on the Frat Boy to veto legislation he says is necessary to keep America secure simply because it doesn't give corporations immunity for breaking the law.