A rare closed session of the House to discuss electronic surveillance legislation failed to change many minds Thursday night, as many lawmakers emerged from the closed-door meeting entrenched in their positions on the controversial measure.
While House Republicans — who called for the session to discuss classified information related to the program — said the meeting provided a clear picture of the terrorist threat and the need to grant retroactive immunity to telecom companies, many Democrats said they did not hear anything new.
“I did not hear any new information tonight that dissuades me from my very strong belief that the FISA bill House Democrats have produced ... is a reasonable, thoughtful, appropriate piece of legislation that will ensure that the intelligence community has all the tools it needs to protect our nation," said House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.).
Congress has been deadlocked for weeks over an update to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Last month, the Senate passed its own version of the bill, which includes retroactive immunity for telecom companies that aided the government after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Ok fellas, you broke the law, and Qwest knew it was wrong, so that's why they aren't facing multi-billion dollar lawsuits. You knew it was wrong, yet you did it anyway. Now you have to face the consequences for breaking the law. If lawmakers and law enforcement thought there was a threat, then they could have gotten a retroactive warrant which is legal under the FISA act.
Congress:
If the threat is really that bad, then you need to start thinking outside of the box here. Maybe you should start assassinating terrorists who are plotting against this nation. Yes, if people were paying attention, 9/11 probably would have been prevented. However, various government agencies have admitted to spying against ordinary Americans since BEFORE 9/11, so you simply have no argument for retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies.
Travis
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