In a move to sidestep the question of legality of the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program, four Republican senators have introduced legislation that would legalize such actions with minimal oversight.
Senators Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska), and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) introduced the bill on Thursday, hoping to subvert any investigation into the warrantless wiretapping program. All but Graham are members of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
The bill, as proposed, would allow the National Security Agency (NSA) to conduct wiretaps without a warrant for up to 45 days. After 45 days, the Justice Department would have to either cease the warrantless surveillance, get a warrant from the FISA court, or obtain authority from a few House and Senate members who found that continued surveillance “is necessary to protect the United States,” according to Charles Babington’s Washington Post account.
The proposed legislation also imposes fines of up to US$1 million and 15 year prison terms on anyone who discloses “classified information related to the Terrorist Surveillance Program.”
Intrestingly, Senate Judiciary Committee chair Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania)objected to “letting the government ‘do whatever the hell it wants’ for 45 days without seeking judicial or congressional approval.”
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