Today in Washington D. C. - Jan 29, 2008

On The Floor: Senate reconvened at 10 AM today. Following an hour of morning business, the chamber will resume consideration of S. 2248, the FISA modification bill. Senate will recess between 12:30 and 2:15 PM for weekly policy lunches. Yesterday, the Senate failed to invoke cloture on the Intelligence Committee version of the FISA bill and also was unable to invoke cloture on a 30 day extension of the Protect America Act, the FISA revision passed in August. On Wednesday, the Finance Committee may consider the Senate’s version of an economic stimulus package.

From Senate & News Sources: With Friday’s expiration of the current FISA law rapidly approaching, it is troubling that the Senate has still not passed a permanent revision of the law. Complicating matters is the fact that the House is not in session until next week after today, leaving very little time to act. CQ Today reports, Republicans are prepared to support a short-term extension (likely 7 days) of the current FISA law, but not the longer extensions proposed by Democrats.

As FISA (American Security), work continues behind the scenes on an economic stimulus package. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told Fox News last night, “My preference would be for the Senate to simply take up the House package, pass it, and send it down to the president for his signature.” However, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus unveiled his own proposal yesterday. The Washington Post notes, “In his State of the Union address last night, Bush said that ‘the temptation will be to load up the bill’ and that ‘this would delay it or derail it, and neither option is acceptable.’” The news of Sen Baucus' proposal was not greeted with open arms in the House, either. The Post writes, “House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY) said last night that Baucus and the Senate were on ‘thin ice’ with the new plan.”

ARRA Editor Comments: The February 1st deadline for FISA has been known by the Senate since August and there has been ample time to work on FISA. As a Washington source said: "Unfortunately, Senate Democrats spent time during the fall holding more Iraq votes and proposing tax increases while allowing a filibuster from their side of the aisle to delay consideration of FISA into the new year." The US Congress is placing National Security at risk by not continuing FISA. In addition the insistence by Democrats that telecommunications companies and their employees should be liable for complying with requests/orders from the US Government to assist in monitoring potential communication to and from International terrorists is beyond any reason or logic except to make money for trial lawyers and to hurt patriotic Americans. Yesterday, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) explained the issues with the FISA law to the ARRA News Service and other national bloggers in a conference call. Carter Wood at Shop News details Sen. bonds comments.

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