Senate Vote on FISA Bill May Wait Until July (after July 4th Recess)

[Breeze54]

Senate Vote on FISA Bill May Wait Until July

June 25, 2008 – 1:52 p.m.

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=1&docID=cqmidday-000002905695

Final Senate action on an overhaul of electronic surveillance rules could slip to after
the July Fourth recess as the chamber juggles other priorities and procedural snarls.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., on Wednesday said clearing the legislation
this week is less important than completing work on housing and Medicare bills.

The spying bill would rewrite the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Reid said Republicans have been holding up the housing bill, thus causing a delay of the
FISA legislation, which is supported by the Bush administration.

Reid said he still planned to move the FISA bill this week — even though he opposes it —
because he has an “obligation” to act on the measure. It has the support of a majority
of senators, including many Democrats.

“I’m going to try to do that,” Reid said. “The only reason why I wouldn’t is . . .
if we’re stuck on the housing thing and I can’t get to that.”

But he left open the possibility that the FISA vote could be delayed until July.

“There are two things we have to do before we go home for July Fourth: housing and Medicare,’’
he said. “We do not have to do, if the Republicans don’t want to do it, we don’t have to do
FISA and we don’t have to do the supplemental” spending measure for military operations in
Iraq and Afghanistan.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky., said he is eager to resolve the “complicated
legislative tangle” and has the same goal as the Democratic leader: to “get all of those things
done in the next few days.”

Senate liberals have been throwing up procedural roadblocks to the FISA bill, which they object
to because it would effectively grant retroactive legal immunity to telecommunications companies
being sued for allegedly aiding the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance program.

They also argue that court and congressional oversight provisions in the measure are not enough
to defend the privacy of U.S. citizens whose communications with foreign spying targets may be
monitored without a warrant under the legislation.

Gives us more time to protest this in e-mails and phone calls!!!

[wtmusic]

1. Early this morning cloture passed.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3522646&mesg_id=3522646

and it appears headed for a vote shortly.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3523536

[Breeze54]

2. Pre-Recess FISA Vote Remains Uncertain in Senate, Despite Cloture

Pre-Recess FISA Vote Remains Uncertain in Senate, Despite Cloture

June 25, 2008 – 10:05 p.m.

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002906105

By Tim Starks, CQ Staff

The Senate was expected to begin debating whether to proceed to an overhaul of electronic surveillance rules Thursday, but a vote on the measure before the July Fourth recess remained uncertain.

Senators agreed Wednesday to limit debate on a motion to proceed to the legislation, meaning that for the next 30 legislative hours, the Senate will be debating the bill unless everyone agrees otherwise.

Despite the 80-15 vote to limit debate, Senate clearance of an overhaul of electronic surveillance rules could slip until after the recess as the chamber juggles other priorities and procedural snarls.

more....

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I hope they delay it!!!!

[wtmusic]

3. Well well.

Maybe we need to remind our Senators what Independence Day is all about? :shrug:

[Breeze54]

4. Hell yeah!! The liberal senators are doing

what they can to stop this!! I :applause: :applause: them!!

We need to call all the senators and /or send them e-mails in protest!!

OOPS!! C-Span is saying the Senate is talking about FISA right now!!!!

:grr:

[ColbertWatcher]

5. Good idea...

...a few others suggested we mail photocopies of checks made out to the Congress critter in question for a small amount on the condition they vote against FISA.

The important information is redacted, but the message should be clear: if you vote against FISA, you could possibly enjoy the kind of fundraising Obama is.

Some details still need work, but that's what this forum is for.