Contempt and more FISA

by Brian Beutler, The Media Consortium: Mon., Jan 14, 2008
Filed under: Congressional Oversight • Uncategorized

Jonathan Weisman and Dan Eggen at the Washington Post are reporting that the White House officials cited for contempt by the House Judiciary Committee will soon be tried by the full Congress.

In its first couple of weeks after it returns tomorrow, the House is likely to take up contempt-of-Congress resolutions against White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet E. Miers for their refusal to appear before Congress for questioning about the 2006 removal of nine U.S. attorneys, Democratic leadership aides said.

And from what I’m hearing, this is very likely true. Another interesting portion, though, comes at the bottom of the article.

Before they start haggling over most other issues, however, lawmakers must decide how to handle the conflict over changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which were approved under heavy administration pressure in August but expire Feb. 1.

The measures expanded the government’s ability to intercept the communications of intelligence targets overseas without court oversight. The White House and Republican leaders want to make those changes permanent while adding language that would grant telecommunications companies retroactive immunity from lawsuits for helping the government conduct wiretaps and other clandestine surveillance.

The issue has set off a row between liberal and moderate Democrats. The House passed legislation in December that would require more court oversight of foreign surveillance and would not provide telecom immunity.

But Senate Democrats are divided and do not have enough votes to thwart a GOP filibuster or overturn a veto, which the White House has threatened. Reid has indicated that he is likely to push for a one-month extension of the existing law to give Congress and the White House time to work out a compromise, and that he could accept the immunity provision.

Emphasis added. Indeed, that was the most recent official word out of the Senate Majority leader’s office. And it may be telling that the Washington Post is unwilling to mention the Wall Street Journal’s report indicating that Reid’s given in to pressure from Dodd et al.