WASHINGTON (AFP) — President George W. Bush pressed the House of Representatives on Wednesday to quickly pass a controversial wiretapping law but ran into stiff resistance from some Democratic leaders.
The Democratic-controlled House spent a hectic day debating whether to extend the current wiretapping law, which expires 12:01 am Saturday, rather than opt for a new version passed by the Senate on Tuesday.
The lower house ended up voting down a tactical move to keep the current text -- and debate -- alive for another three weeks, but wrangled over the Senate bill adopted under heavy pressure from Bush.
Bush reiterated in a statement Wednesday that he would brook no delays in passage of the new text authorizing the tapping of foreign telephone calls and emails he said was vital to rooting out terrorists.
"Time for debate is over. I will not accept any temporary extension. House members have had plenty of time to pass a good bill," the president said.
The new bill makes permanent the provisions in the current legislation and adds blanket legal immunity for telecommunications companies facing dozens of lawsuits alleging violations of US law.
Some influential Democrats vowed to resist.
"The bill the Senate passed yesterday, in my view, is unacceptable," said Democratic Representative Jane Harman, who chairs a homeland security subcommittee on intelligence and terrorism.
Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid charged that Bush was to blame for the standoff by secretly authorizing the wiretaps without Congress approval in 2001.
"Let's be clear: this is yet more proof that President Bush and his Republican allies are more interested in politicizing intelligence than they are about finding real solutions," Reid said.
"Today, President Bush continues his bullying."
The 30-year-old Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was amended by Congress last year to make clear the National Security Agency and other intelligence operations were legally empowered to tap into electronic communications when one or more of the targets is in a foreign location, without first obtaining permission from a FISA court.
But Congress set a February 1, 2008 expiration date on that legislation, called the Protect America Act, which was temporarily extended to February 15.
Urging swift adoption of permanent legislation, Bush charged Wednesday that the goal of the militants was "to bring destruction to our shores that will make September 11 pale by comparison."
"It is time for Congress to ensure the flow of vital intelligence is not disrupted. It is time for Congress to pass a law that provides a long-term foundation to protect our country. They must do so immediately."
The House version of the draft legislation, which Bush has threatened to veto, offers no protection for the telecommunications industry and has more restrictions on the government's power.
After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Bush authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop, without court warrants, on calls and emails between the United States and abroad in cases deemed to have a terror link.
The program, revealed in 2005, caused public outcry and human rights experts have argued that US privacy guarantees mean the intelligence agencies should seek court warrants to conduct such spying inside the country.
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