US lawmakers defied a warning from US President George W. Bush Wednesday to reach a quick decision and agreed to debate a controversial wire-tapping law for three more weeks.
With the current legislation set to expire on Friday, Bush had pushed for the House of Representatives to follow Senate's example and pass a new text this week authorizing the tapping of foreign telephone calls and emails.
"Time for debate is over. I will not accept any temporary extension. House members have had plenty of time to pass a good bill," Bush said in a statement delivered in the Oval Office.
The Senate on Tuesday bowed to pressure and passed the controversial measure, part of the government's legal battery in the "war on terror."
But the bill faces stiff opposition from some Democrats in the House, particularly as it offers blanket legal immunity to telecommunications companies for possible violations of US law if they participate in the measures.
By a vote of 206 to 199 votes, the House agreed Wednesday to prolong its debate for three more weeks.
The 30-year-old Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was amended by Congress last year to make clear the National Security Agency and other intelligence operations were legally empowered to tap into electronic communications when one or more of the targets is in a foreign location, without first obtaining permission from a FISA court.
But Congress set a February 1, 2008 expiration date on that legislation, called the Protect America Act, which was temporarily extended to February 15.
Urging that legislation be swiftly permanently adopted, Bush charged Wednesday that the goal of the militants was "to bring destruction to our shores that will make September 11 pale by comparison.
"To carry out their plans, they must communicate with each other. They must recruit operatives. And they must share information. The lives of countless Americans depend on our ability to monitor these communications.
"It is time for Congress to ensure the flow of vital intelligence is not disrupted. It is time for Congress to pass a law that provides a long-term foundation to protect our country. They must do so immediately."
The Bush administration insists the once-secret surveillance program is necessary to monitor communications between suspected terrorists overseas and extremists inside the United States.
But the House version of the draft legislation, which Bush has threatened to veto, offers no protection for the telecommunications industry and has more restrictions on the government's power.
"In order to be able to discover the enemy's plans, we need the collaboration of telecommunication companies," Bush said Wednesday.
"If these companies are subjected to lawsuits that could cost them billions of dollars, they will not participate. They will not help protect America. Liability protection is critical to securing the private sector's cooperation with our intelligence efforts."
However, Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd has described the bill as a "travesty," while his colleague Russell Feingold called the measure "dangerous."
After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Bush authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop, without court warrants, on calls and emails between the United States and abroad in cases deemed to have a terror link.
The program, revealed in 2005, caused public outcry and human rights experts have argued that US privacy guarantees mean the intelligence agencies should seek court warrants to conduct such spying inside the country.
