Published: 06-23-08
Washington DC – House Conference Secretary John Carter (TX-31) issued the following statement after voting for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendments of 2008 (H.R. 6304):
“There is nothing more important than the safety of our children and grandchildren and today Democrats and Republicans sent a message to our enemies that we will not take this security lightly.
“The bipartisan bill which passed the House today modernizes our terrorist surveillance laws by allowing for our intelligence community to have the ability to monitor terrorists who wish to harm Americans without cutting through miles of red tape. It also adds critical retroactive liability protections for those companies who helped the government snuff out and prevent terrorist attacks after 9/11.
“This bill is not perfect but it is a good compromise and I look forward to seeing it signed into law.”
House Passes Overhaul of Electronic Surveillance Rules
The House Friday passed an overhaul of electronic surveillance rules stemming from a bipartisan compromise that left Democrats divided.
The legislation which would almost certainly lead to the dismissal of lawsuits against telecommunications companies accused of aiding the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance program won the support of 105 Democrats and 188 Republicans to pass by a margin of 293-129.
Senators agreed to place the bill on the calendar for next week and could clear it as early as Monday delivering to President Bush legislation that gives him much of what he wants but with some restrictions he hoped to avoid. He placed a priority on the lawsuits’ dismissal and on getting executive branch authority to conduct warrantless surveillance of foreign targets even when they are communicating with people in the United States.
House members who voted against the bill said its expansion of executive branch surveillance powers would gut Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure.
“This bill scares me to death” said Rep. Barbara Lee D-Calif.
Supporters on the other hand said it was an improvement over a Senate-passed White House-backed bill which contained less court and congressional oversight. Some conservative Democrats have been pressing House leaders to take up that legislation all year long and House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer D-Md. said this week their support for that bill forced Democratic negotiators into a reluctant compromise.
“It’s not a happy occasion but it’s the work we have to do” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi D-Calif. She said the debate on the legislation was “valuable for making the bill better if not good enough but certainly preferable to the alternative we have.”
Republicans including Bush himself praised the legislation.
