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Congress moves toward expanding government spying, with immunity for telecoms

Dandelion Salad

By Joe Kay
http://www.wsws.org
14 February 2008

The US Congress has taken steps this week toward passing a bill that would expand government spying powers while granting immunity to telecommunications companies that participated in violations of the law.

On Tuesday, the Senate voted to permanently extend the so-called Protect America Act, originally passed in August 2007. The bill passed by the Senate includes everything demanded by the Bush administration, including immunity for companies that participated in the National Security Agency’s illegal warrantless domestic spying program.

The Bush administration is seeking to place the NSA program on a firmer legal footing by pushing through changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which requires the government to obtain a warrant whenever it intercepts communications involving US residents.

The Protect America Act includes these changes, but the bill is set to expire on February 15. For this reason, the White House, and leading figures in both the Democratic and Republican parties, are pushing for a permanent extension.

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see

Senate Approves Surveillance Bill, Preserves Telecom Immunity

Keith Olbermann Special Comment: Mr Bush You Are A Fascist!

2 thoughts on “Congress moves toward expanding government spying, with immunity for telecoms”

  1. Pingback: Keith Olbermann Special Comment: Mr Bush You Are A Fascist! « Dandelion Salad

  2. Dandi,
    “We the people have been betrayed, compromise, Congress wanted something, and the Admin. wanted something, so they settled, “we[the people]” get $600.00, to forget about it the crime[s].
    Bribery, plain and simple, and we are all involved.
    Who loves ya Baby?

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