Senate Caves in to Bush, Passes Bill White House Will Sign

Republicans in the minority in the U.S. House of Representatives blocked passage Friday night of a compromise spying bill, while the Senate passed a version of the measure that updates the law on eavesdropping on phone calls and e-mails of suspected terrorists - however that is defined by the Bush administration and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

According to the AP account:

Congress and the White House struggled Friday over expanding authority to eavesdrop on suspected foreign terrorists in a high-stakes showdown over national security.

The House rejected a Democratic proposal opposed by President Bush that would give him that authority for only four months. The largely party-line vote in favor of the bill was 218-207 (not the two-thirds majority needed for passage).

It also would allow the director of national intelligence and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to carry out the expanded eavesdropping for four months before a court signs off on it.

If a version of a bill is not passed by both houses in time for the August recess scheduled for August 6, it will be the Republicans who are to blame for putting Americans at risk, not the Democrats.

It looks at this point like the Bush administration does not want a bill to pass, perhaps knowing something about a domestically planned hit on an American target in the next month. Sources indicate it could be directed at Washington, D.C.

Update at 10 p.m. The Senate voted 60-28 to pass a bill that gives Bush the expanded eavesdropping authority he sought for six months. While only temporary, the measure gives Congress time to hammer out a more comprehensive plan instead of rushing approval for a permanent bill in the waning hours before lawmakers begin their monthlong break scheduled to start August 6.

Senate Passes Bush Terrorism Spy Bill

The House is expected to continue debating a new version of the bill to match the Senate measure on Saturday.

Catch the action on C-SPAN 2 on the re-run, or on the Web.