Media

Today, the House will consider the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 3773, to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to establish a procedure for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence, and for other purposes. The revised House legislation to amend FISA grants new authorities for conducting electronic surveillance against foreign targets while preserving the requirement that the government obtain an individualized FISA court order, based on probable cause, when targeting Americans at home or abroad. The House bill also strongly enhances oversight of the Administration's surveillance activities. Finally, the House bill does not provide retroactive immunity for telecom companies but allows the courts to determine whether lawsuits should proceed.

From the Majority Leader:

Majority Leader Hoyer's Statement After House Holds Secret Session

WASHINGTON, DC -- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD) released the following statement tonight after the House held a secret session to discuss information relevant to the debate on legislation to modernize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA):

Washington, D.C. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after the House passed a fiscally responsible Democratic budget plan by a vote of 212 to 207:

From the Oversight Committee:

Chairman Waxman Issues a Subpoena for EPA Documents

WASHINGTON, DC -- Chairman Henry A. Waxman issued a subpoena to compel EPA to provide unredacted copies of documents that have been improperly withheld from the Committee regarding EPA's decision to reject California's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles. Chairman Waxman released the following statement:

Speaker Pelosi, Leader Hoyer and Whip Clyburn respond to President Bush's assertion this morning that the new legislation the House is considering this week to modernize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act "would undermine America's security."

Speaker Pelosi:

Q: "Are you saying the President is lying?" A: Speaker Pelosi: "That's the same question I got in 2001 when they asked me when I said 'the intelligence on Iraq does not support the threat, of an imminent threat, to our country' that the Administration is contending...I said then, and I say now, I am stating a fact. The President is wrong and he knows it."