Congress Approves Intelligence Bill

[Socialist Christian]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=584&ncid=584&e=2&u=/nm/20031121/pl_nm/congress_intelligence_dc


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate gave final congressional approval on Friday to legislation that included a provision making it easier for the FBI (news - web sites) to track terror finances through casinos, pawnshops and other institutions not traditionally considered financial.



The Senate passed the bill on a voice vote one day after the U.S. House of Representatives approved the legislation 264-163 with most House Democrats voting against it due to a provision they saw as too great an expansion of FBI powers.


The legislation covers the Central Intelligence Agency (news - web sites), the National Security Agency and intelligence programs at the FBI, Defense Department, State Department and other agencies.


The intelligence budget is classified, but lawmakers have said it was slightly more than what had been requested by the White House. Some analysts have estimated it at $35 billion to $40 billion for fiscal 2004.