Bush/Cheney pressures Congress to renew FISA (expires Feb 1)

[101Scout]

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Bush pressures Congress on FISA

By Klaus Marre
Posted: 01/24/08

President Bush on Thursday pressured Congress to pass quickly legislation to overhaul the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which the Senate is debating.

“If Congress does not act quickly, our national security professionals will not be able to count on critical tools they need to protect our nation, and our ability to respond quickly to new threats and circumstances will be weakened,” Bush said in a statement.

Congress passed last August a GOP-written interim FISA bill, set to expire Feb. 1, that greatly expanded the government’s powers to conduct warrantless surveillance on U.S. soil. It quickly drew criticism from many Democrats and civil liberties groups.

[101Scout]

Looks like war... between Hoyer, Pelosi and Bush. I'm shocked that DLCer's Pelosi and Hoyer has stood up against Bush's attempt for making this fascist FISA Bill permanent, but we'll see how this one turns out. It won't surprise me if Pelosi and Hoyer caves, but if they don't, then they get my applause this time around.



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Bush hammers House on surveillance bill
By Klaus Marre
Posted: 02/15/08 11:21 AM [ET]

Bush stressed that liability protection for telecommunications companies that took part in the National Security Agency’s warrantless wiretapping program must be included in the bill. The Senate bill contains an immunity provision, while the House bill does not. The issue will be a major sticking point in conference talks, as many Democratic leaders feel such immunity is not warranted.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) hit back at Bush Friday.

“After refusing to extend current law, the president repeated today his untenable and irresponsible claim that our national security will be jeopardized unless the House immediately rubber-stamps a Senate bill to modify the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act,” Hoyer stated.

“In fact, a wide range of national security experts has made clear that the president and our intelligence community have all the tools they need to protect our nation, if the PAA expires,” added Hoyer, referring to the interim bill known as the Protect America Act and alluding to the fact that any surveillance orders placed under the PAA will remain in effect for a year.

“The president’s comments are wrong, divisive and nothing more than fear-mongering,” Hoyer said. “Democrats are ready to sit down with the White House and Republicans in Congress to work together to craft strong, bipartisan legislation.”

[Xena]

A friend sent me this.


Intel chair to Bush on FISA: I will not back down to you

RAW STORY
Published: Thursday February 14, 2008

Congressman Silvestre Reyes, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, sent a letter to President Bush regarding the ongoing battle over warrantless wiretapping.

Text of the letter follows below.



President George W. Bush

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

The Preamble to our Constitution states that one of our highest duties as public officials is to "provide for the common defence." As an elected Member of Congress, a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I work everyday to ensure that our defense and intelligence capabilities remain strong in the face of serious threats to our national security.

Because I care so deeply about protecting our country, I take strong offense to your suggestion in recent days that the country will be vulnerable to terrorist attack unless Congress immediately enacts legislation giving you broader powers to conduct warrantless surveillance of Americans' communications and provides legal immunity for telecommunications companies that participated in the Administration's warrantless surveillance program.

Today, the National Security Agency (NSA) has authority to conduct surveillance in at least three different ways, all of which provide strong capability to monitor the communications of possible terrorists.

First, NSA can use its authority under Executive Order 12333 to conduct surveillance abroad of any known or suspected terrorist. There is no requirement for a warrant. There is no requirement for probable cause. Most of NSA's collection occurs under this authority.

Second, NSA can use its authority under the Protect America Act, enacted last August, to conduct surveillance here in the U.S of any foreign target. This authority does not "expire" on Saturday, as you have stated. Under the PAA, orders authorizing surveillance may last for one year – until at least August 2008. These orders may cover every terrorist group without limitation. If a new member of the group is identified, or if a new phone number or email address is identified, the NSA may add it to the existing orders, and surveillance can begin immediately. We will not "go dark."

Third, in the remote possibility that a new terrorist organization emerges that we have never previously identified, the NSA could use existing authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to monitor those communications. Since its establishment nearly 30 years ago, the FISA Court has approved nearly every application for a warrant from the Department of Justice. In an emergency, NSA or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may begin surveillance immediately, and a FISA Court order does not have to be obtained for three days. The former head of FISA operations for the Department of Justice has testified publicly that emergency authorization may be granted in a matter of minutes.

As you know, the 1978 FISA law, which has been modernized and updated numerous times since 9/11, was instrumental in disrupting the terrorist plot in Germany last summer. Those who say that FISA is outdated do not understand the strength of this important tool.

If our nation is left vulnerable in the coming months, it will not be because we don't have enough domestic spying powers. It will be because your Administration has not done enough to defeat terrorist organizations – including al Qaeda -- that have gained strength since 9/11. We do not have nearly enough linguists to translate the reams of information we currently collect. We do not have enough intelligence officers who can penetrate the hardest targets, such as al Qaeda. We have surged so many intelligence resources into Iraq that we have taken our eye off the ball in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As a result, you have allowed al Qaeda to reconstitute itself on your watch.

You have also suggested that Congress must grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies. As someone who has been briefed on our most sensitive intelligence programs, I can see no argument why the future security of our country depends on whether past actions of telecommunications companies are immunized.

The issue of telecom liability should be carefully considered based on a full review of the documents that your Administration withheld from Congress for eight months. However, it is an insult to the intelligence of the American people to say that we will be vulnerable unless we grant immunity for actions that happened years ago.

Congress has not been sitting on its hands. Last November, the House passed responsible legislation to authorize the NSA to conduct surveillance of foreign terrorists and to provide clarity and legal protection to our private sector partners who assist in that surveillance.

The proper course is now to conference the House bill with the Senate bill that was passed on Tuesday. There are significant differences between these two bills and a conference, in regular order, is the appropriate mechanism to resolve the differences between these two bills. I urge you, Mr. President, to put partisanship aside and allow Republicans in Congress to arrive at a compromise that will protect America and protect our Constitution.

I, for one, do not intend to back down – not to the terrorists and not to anyone, including a President, who wants Americans to cower in fear.

We are a strong nation. We cannot allow ourselves to be scared into suspending the Constitution. If we do that, we might as well call the terrorists and tell them that they have won.

Sincerely,



Silvestre Reyes
Member of Congress
Chairman, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

[101Scout]

:happy0122[1]::happy0122[1]::happy0122[1]:

To Mr Reyes


The House (Conyers) went into the weekend now believing that they have better deals in the works over the FISA and the Telcom Immunity situation. We'll see.



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Dems see beginnings of deal on surveillance bill
By J. Taylor Rushing
Posted: 02/15/08 05:20 PM [ET]


House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) said that meetings Friday brought “the beginnings of a resolution” over the key issue of whether legislation updating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) should shield the phone companies that took part in the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance program. Several major carriers face about 40 lawsuits for turning over consumers’ information to the administration.

Conyers and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) met Friday with Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) to discuss how to reconcile two very different FISA bills. The Democratic-written House version, passed last fall, does not grant immunity to the carriers and grants more power to the FISA court, which has traditionally overseen foreign intelligence surveillance.


Neither Conyers nor House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) would elaborate on the talks, but they said they have a conference “framework” to resolve the sticking point of immunity over the next week, when Congress is in recess.


The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has criticized Democrats for caving in to the White House, expressed “very pleasant surprise” that the party’s leaders were willing to let the law expire and risk potential negative publicity.

Such a move, said ACLU Legislative Director Caroline Frederickson, gives the Democrats the upper hand in the coming FISA negotiations.

“The Democrats are beginning to understand that the president’s playbook has been played out,” Frederickson said.

[101Scout]

Looks as if the barb has taken to the radio air waves. Good. Expose the stupid bastards and the 'lie' games they play! Nice going Rep Whitehouse... you smacked Goober right between the eyes!!!



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Bush, Dems take fight over FISA to the airwaves
By Jessica Holzer
Posted: 02/16/08 11:26 AM [ET]

President Bush used his weekly radio address Saturday to blast House Democrats for leaving town without passing a Senate-approved foreign intelligence surveillance law, accusing them of causing a lapse in national security by allowing the current law to expire.


Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), delivering the response from the Democrats, shot back that the president was “whipping up false fears” and “creating artificial confrontation.”

He said Bush would take the blame for any security failure because he had threatened to veto legislation extending the current law until House and Senate negotiators arrived at a compromise.

“Make no mistake: If the surveillance law expires, if any intelligence loss results, it is President Bush’s choice. Period,” he said.

The on-air barbs continued the bitter recriminations party leaders have traded for days over the surveillance legislation, stamping out any trace of the bipartisan cooperation that smoothed the enactment of the economic stimulus package earlier this week.

[Zahalsky]

I'm in love with Silvestre Reyes. That's my idea of a man and what a great letter! Way to go! Keep it up!

[Icky]

A well written letter... and it's about time! Good work Sen. Reyes.