Specter proposes enhanced Internet eavesdropping bill

November 16, 2006

Outgoing U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.)says he's going to give a proposal to give the Bush Administration the "resources" for carrying out its anti-terrorism Internet and phone surveillance program one more try.

To be discussed during the Senate's "lame duck" session that begins Monday, that bill would eliminate the requirement for the U.S. Government to obtain a warrant for tapping into "foreign to foreign" communications- even if it involved American citizens.

That said, the bill, entitled the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Oversight and Resource Enhancement Act of 2006," does not go as far as a House bill approved in September that critics charge would eliminate U.S. judicial oversight of warrantless eavesdropping of Internet and p[hone convrsations.

Given the shortness of this lame duck session before the Holidays, the fate of this bill is uncertain. It's also unclear at this point how the incoming Democratic Senatorial majority- and the new Committee chairs that will set the agenda when the body reconvenes in early January- will treat Specter's bill.