Democratic victory may kill surveillance bills
By Andrew Noyes, National Journal's Technology Daily
The new Democratic-led House could bode well for the civil-liberties crowd. The most pressing issue for the 110th Congress will be quashing efforts they say would allow the continuation of an eavesdropping program authorized by President Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Caroline Fredrickson, director of the Washington office for the American Civil Liberties Union, said the shift in leadership may mean "a very profound change" in how lawmakers address the electronic wiretapping initiative of the National Security Agency.
Before recessing for the mid-term election, the House passed a bill, H.R. 5825, to overhaul rules for wiretaps without warrants. The Senate companion measure, S. 2453, did not get a floor vote.
Bush pushed hard in the run-up to the election for Congress to codify the program, Fredrickson said. "I think that is dead."
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