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Senate and House both pass bill granting Immunity to Telcoms |
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The Senate July 9 cleared compromise legislation expected to wipe out a series of lawsuits against telephone and Internet companies accused of giving the Bush administration illegal access to customer communications.
The bill (H.R. 6304), which is expected to be signed by the president, is broadly designed to overhaul the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). However, it includes controversial provisions allowing courts to grant retroactive immunity to companies that facilitated warrantless surveillance efforts in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The measure provides for a limited court review of classified documents offering evidence that companies acted in good faith, as well as public legal briefs from both plaintiffs and defendants, but not a thorough examination of what companies did, or a determination as to whether it was lawful.
Critics say the legislation will almost certainly bring an end to dozens of pending cases against phone carriers.
"I do not believe Congress should seek to take away the only viable avenue for Americans to seek redress for harms to their privacy and liberties, and the only viable avenue of accountability for the administration's lawlessness," said Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).
The Senate approved the bill 69-28, after defeating a series of amendments to strip or modify the retroactive immunity language. The measure was passed by the House in June. |
