[Infowarrior] - GOP wants to tack FISA bill onto war supplemental

[Richard Forno]

One of the best things Congress could do is pass rules limiting what can be
"tacked on" to legislation, thus precluding things like this, especially on
so-called 'must-pass' legislation.....and in this case, legislation that the
Dems will prolly vote in favor of simply to avoid looking unpatriotic, no
matter WHAT controversial amendments are included.   ---rf



GOP wants to tack FISA bill onto war supplemental
By Klaus Marre
Posted: 04/24/08 04:30 PM [ET]

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-wants-to-tack-fisa-bill-onto-war-sup
plemental-2008-04-24.html

Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) announced Thursday that he will try to attach a
measure updating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) as an
amendment to the war supplemental bill.

Lewis, the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, said he
would make the move if the war funding bill is taken up by the panel.

³It¹s time for the Democratic leaders to put our national security ahead of
the desires of trial lawyers and pass the FISA bill that was passed by the
Senate,² the lawmaker said. ³This Congress should make this legislation one
of its top priorities until the intelligence gap is closed.²

Republicans and the White House have engaged in an all-out campaign to get
House Democratic leaders to take up a version of the bill that was passed
with bipartisan support in the Senate. One of the most contentious issues
remaining is whether telecommunications companies should get retroactive
immunity if they helped the government with eavesdropping initiatives
following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. While Republicans support such a
provision and it is included in the Senate bill, House Democrats say it
needs to be stripped out.
 
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-wants-to-tack-fisa-bill-onto-war-sup
plemental-2008-04-24.html