Congress Torn on Telecom Immunity

Senate panel sidesteps; House passes bill without it
Posted Nov 16, 2007 7:48 AM CST
Congress Torn on Telecom Immunity
Donald Kerr testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on his nomination to become Deputy Director of National Intelligence in this Aug. 1, 2007 file photo. As Congress debates new rules for government eavesdropping, Kerr says it is time that people in the...   (Associated Press)

Congress is conflicted over proposed immunity laws that would retroactively protect telecoms from suits alleging they illegally handed the government information on calls. The Senate Intelligence Committee endorsed immunity 13-2 last month, but the Judiciary Committee left the immunity section out of the document it approved yesterday. The House passed its version of the bill 227-189 last night without immunity.

Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy was in a minority that supported an amendment eliminating immunity from the bill. The committee,  which voted 10-9,  did not have a quorum, reports ZDNET, so it was unofficial. The full Senate will have to hash out a decision. Presidential candidate Chris Dodd has vowed to block any immunity bill from going to a vote, and President Bush has said he won’t approve a new bill without it. (More telecom stories.)

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