Rumor: FISA Deal Reached in the House

01 Mar, 2008 by John Stephenson

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There is a rumor floating around thats got the hard left upset.

To break an impasse over legislation overhauling the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, House Democratic leaders are considering the option of taking up a Senate-passed FISA bill in stages, congressional sources said today. Under the plan, the House would vote separately on the first title of the bill, which authorizes surveillance activities, and then on the bill’s second title, which grants retroactive legal immunity to telecommunications companies that aided the Bush administration’s warrantless electronic surveillance activities. The two would be recombined, assuming passage of both titles.

In this way, Democratic leaders believe they can give an out to lawmakers opposed to the retroactive immunity provision. Republican leadership sources said their caucus would back such a plan because not only would it give Democratic leaders the out they need, it would provide a political win for the GOP. It remains to be seen if such a move will placate liberal Democrats who adamantly oppose giving in to the Bush administration on the immunity issue.

Really… its a good idea. The hard left will never be satisfied, but this should make most folks happy. It accomodates those that are against telecom immunity by giving them an opportunity to put a vote on record appeasing the netroot ACLU types, and still look like they care about the country a little by voting for the other. They will both pass of course, but it gives the hard left Housers an out with their lawyer lobbyists.

Karl is just as amused as I am.

I agree for the most part with Captain Ed:

This mechanism makes sense for all involved. It puts everyone on the record for the two parts of the bill separately, which allows the few who strenuously object to the immunity to make their record clear. It’s a compromise that will satisfy all but the hard Left, who by this time have to finally wonder exactly how far out of the mainstream they are.

I agree with everything except the part about the hard left realizing they are out of the mainstream. The ACLU are still screaming about this.

Crossposted at STACLU