GOP TO TACK TELECOM IMMUNITY ON WAR BILL?

Lewis Will Try To Add FISA Update To War Supplemental

By Patrick O'Connor

(The Politico) Congressional Republicans have made a lot of noise about what they won't accept on upcoming legislation to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But there's at least one thing they would embrace with open arms: An updated foreign surveillance law that would protect telecommunications companies that shared information with the government in the aftermath of Sept. 11.

California Rep. Jerry Lewis, the ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee, announced Thursday that he would offer Senate-passed legislation to expand the current surveillance law to an upcoming spending bill for those two wars when his panel considers that measure in the next few weeks.

"As a result of the inaction by the Democrat leadership, this vital weapon in our arsenal against terror has been lost," Lewis said in a release. "Since the Democrat leadership has refused to schedule a vote on this critical legislation - which the White House and the Senate both overwhelmingly endorse - I will offer it as part of our war supplemental in committee."

Lewis would need support from committee Democrats to successfully attach the FISA update to the spending bill, making it almost impossible for him to add it. But, at the very least, he would put members of the majority on the record rejecting the Senate bill, something Republicans have done repeatedly since Democratic leaders in the House allowed a stopgap measure Congress approved over the summer to lapse.

It has been 60 days since that stopgap measure expired, forcing intelligence officials to revert to an earlier version of the warrantless wiretapping law. Republicans on both sides of the Capitol marked the occasion by hammering Democratic leaders in the House for their decision not to schedule a vote on the Senate bill, which that chamber approved, 68-29, in February. Administration officials argue that the earlier incarnation makes it more difficult for them to monitor e-mails and select cell phone calls to and from suspected terrorists.

Lawmakers continue to haggle over legal protections for the telecommunications companies that shared customer information with U.S. intelligence officials. Republicans would like the legislation to shield these companies from a series of pending lawsuits. But many Democrats continue to oppose those protections. Aides met this week, but those talks failed to yield a breakthrough.