Wiretapping

Washington -- 26 June 2008 -- Legislation to revise U.S. surveillance law survived a key test vote in the Senate Wednesday, despite opposition from some majority Democrats to a provision protecting telephone companies from possible privacy lawsuits. The Senate could give final approval to the bill and send it to President Bush for his signature before a congressional recess next week.

Senators voted 80 to 15 to proceed to the legislation - 20 more than the 60 votes necessary under Senate rules.

The bill, which updates the 1978 Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Act (FISA), would expand the government's powers to eavesdrop on terrorism suspects while at the same time take steps to safeguard civil liberties.    » read more »

June 6, 2008 -- Washington, DC – Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) issued the following statement today after news reports indicated that Senator McCain supports President Bush’s wire-tapping program:

John McCain: Photo by Christy Frink (CC)    » read more »

12 February 2008 -- The U.S. Senate Tuesday voted to renew a controversial surveillance law set to expire at the end of the week. Lawmakers left intact a provision to shield telephone companies from lawsuits for their role in the Bush administration's wiretap program, despite opposition from many Democrats.

The Senate voted to extend a law which authorizes U.S. intelligence agencies to monitor - without warrants - telephone calls and emails between Americans and suspected terrorists overseas.    » read more »

January 24, 2008 -- (Washington, DC) - The White House has agreed to provide the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees access to classified documents concerning the NSA warrantless wiretapping program. As applied to the Judiciary committee, ten Democratic members, nine Republican members, and staff with appropriate security clearance would be "read into" the program next week and have access to documents including legal memoranda about the program and communications with telephone companies. House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) released the following statment:    » read more »

Legislation would require an Inspector General of the Administration’s warrantless wiretapping program

January 24, 2008 -- (As Prepared for Delivery)    » read more »

January 23, 2008 -- Washington, DC – In anticipation of the debate on the FISA bill, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) took to the Senate Floor today to discuss two amendments that she plans on offering.

* The first amendment would ensure that the federal government must follow the requirements of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) when conducting electronic surveillance of American citizens for foreign intelligence purposes.    » read more »

Washington, DC -- January 24, 2008 - U.S. Senators Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today introduced an amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act currently pending on the floor. The amendment would substitute the United States in place of any electronic communication service provider who provided communications in connection with an intelligence activity that was (1) authorized by the President between September 11, 2001, and January 17, 2007, and (2) designed to detect or prevent a terrorist attack against the United States.    » read more »