Members of a handful of committees in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate reportedly are meeting today to discuss the new Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the issue of retroactive telco immunity. It's looking increasingly likely there will be some compromise resulting in new legislation with telco immunity included, which may not look like much of a compromise to some.
New legislation could be sent for President Bush's signature within a week. One suggestion on the table among House members would break the FISA version already approved in the Senate into two pieces, with the telco immunity language as the second piece. This would allow House members opposed to telco immunity to vote against it while still voting for a new FISA. I guess that will give some folks in Congress something they can show their grandchildren as proof they didn't give in to President Bush's demand to protect the telephone companies.
For more:
- see this story at The Washington Post
Related articles:
- One House leader this weekend hinted at movement to support telco immunity