Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile
    • Networking

    Bush Continues Telco Immunity Pressure

    By
    Roy Mark
    -
    February 14, 2008
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      For the second time in two days, President Bush publicly rebuked the U.S. House for insisting on no retroactive immunity for telecom carriers who participated in the president’s warrantless spy program.

      The Senate on Feb. 13 approved a renewal of FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) that includes immunity for the carriers. Later that day, the Democratic leadership of the House unsuccessfully sought a 21-day FISA extension instead of approving the Senate version. The current FISA measure expires at midnight Feb. 15.

      The House effort to extend FISA was defeated, 222-191, and House leaders are now contemplating letting FISA lapse while it negotiates a compromise with the Senate. In the House version of the FISA renewal approved in November, members voted to deny retroactive immunity to the carriers.

      Bush has vowed to veto any FISA renewal that does not include immunity for the carriers.

      “It is clear that the Senate bill would pass the House with bipartisan support,” Bush said Feb. 14 at a White House briefing. “Republicans and Democrats in the Senate can put partisanship aside, and pass a good bill. There’s no reason why the House cannot do the same, and pass the Senate bill immediately.”

      Bush said that without immunity for the carriers, “We may not be able to secure the private sector’s cooperation with our intelligence efforts. If you cooperate with the government and then get sued for billions of dollars because of the cooperation, you’re less likely to cooperate. And obviously we’re going to need people working with us to find out what the enemy is saying and thinking and plotting and planning.”

      The president added he was willing to delay a long-planned trip to Africa to stay in Washington to help negotiate the FISA renewal before it expires.

      Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Feb. 13 that any fault rests with the White House and Republicans in the House.

      “An overwhelming majority of House Democrats voted to extend that law for three weeks so that agreement could be reached with the Senate on a better version of that law,” Pelosi said. “The President and House Republicans refused to support the extension and therefore will bear the responsibility should any adverse national security consequences result.”

      Pelosi also noted that even if FISA expires, “The American people can be confident that our country remains safe and strong. Every order entered under the law can remain in effect for 12 months from the date it was issued.”

      Although it is widely acknowledged, even by the president, that the carriers provided customer telephone and e-mail records-often without a warrant or subpoena-to the government, the telecoms insist they acted on authority from the highest levels of government, including the White House.

      The carriers’ cooperation with the government prompted more than 40 civil lawsuits claiming the carriers violated the constitutional rights of Americans. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, the co-lead counsel in the now consolidated lawsuits, contends the carriers broke the law by providing the National Security Agency with the full content of billions of e-mails, text messages and VOIP (voice over IP) calls. The EFF claims it is an issue for the courts to decide.

      The carriers insist that the real issue is between the White House and Congress. “Current law … provides a complete defense to any provider who in good faith relies on a statutory authorization,” AT&T wrote in an Oct. 12 letter to lawmakers. “If the government advises a private company that a disclosure is authorized by statute, a presumption of regularity attaches.”

      Roy Mark
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×