Legislation
Senate Vote Delayed on Telecom Immunity for Wiretaps
A bill to give telecommunications companies immunity for aiding the government’s secret surveillance program won’t be considered in the Senate until after the holiday break.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said there were too many competing amendments and too little time to consider them before the recess, the New York Times reports.
The White House has “raised the prospect of a veto” if the final bill does not contain immunity provisions, the Washington Post reports.
The pending bill would also give expanded powers to the National Security Agency for its eavesdropping effort. The current six-month law governing the warrantless wiretapping program expires in early February.
