Reply #96: House ponders wiretap bill = S. 1927, House delayed action today

[L. Coyote]

House ponders wiretap bill
By CHARLES BABINGTON Associated Press Writer
Article Launched: 08/04/2007 12:23:32 AM PDT
http://origin.mercurynews.com/nationworld/ci_6543018

WASHINGTON—The House on Saturday delayed action on a Senate-passed bill to expand the government's powers to eavesdrop, without warrants, on Americans' communications with foreigners who are not necessarily terrorist suspects.

Lawmakers in both parties said they expected the measure to pass at some point—perhaps late Saturday or early Sunday—but only after the House deals with other matters, including an energy package.

..........

The bill would update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA. It would allow the government to intercept, without warrants, communications between a U.S. resident and a foreign party suspected of involvement in "foreign intelligence" matters. It would drop existing language requiring that the foreigner be suspected more specifically of connections to terrorist groups such as al-Qaida.

The bill also would clarify that the government can intercept foreigner-to-foreigner communications that
Advertisement
pass through U.S. lines or switches. The government long has had the power to intercept purely foreign communications.

If a U.S. resident is the chief target of surveillance of his or her communications with a foreigner, the government would have to obtain a warrant from the special FISA court.