The telco immunity controversy lingers on, with no end in sight. The House of Representatives on Friday (after a rare Thursday night closed session) approved by a thin margin new surveillance, but it did not include the telco immunity provision that was an often-repeated demand of the Bush administration. Both houses of Congress then departed on a two-week spring break (they must need more time to recover than the kids do), so now, there's a House bill that does not have telco immunity, and a Senate bill that does, and not much promise for compromise between them. President Bush will veto any bill without telco immunity, and it could be weeks before he even gets one to veto, let alone any other version of the bill that he would find more appetizing. A story in The Washington Post points out the increasing possibility that President Bush's final months in office may lapse without new surveillance legislation. What then?
For more:
- see this report at The Washington Post
Related articles:
- President Bush is ready to use his veto stamp