In the Washington Times this morning:
House Democrats, confounded by a Republican procedural maneuver that would force an embarrassing vote on terrorism, yesterday called off a vote on an electronic-surveillance bill that the White House opposes.
Republicans would have forced Democrats either to vote to effectively kill the bill that restricts federal wiretap power or to vote against authorizing the government to spy on Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda and other foreign terrorist groups.
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Mr. Boehner said the Democrats faced “a very simple choice.” “They can allow our intelligence officials to conduct surveillance on the likes of Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda or prohibit them from doing so and jeopardize our national security,” he said. “Every member of the majority will now have the opportunity to go on record.”House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer said it was not a setback for the bill, which the White House warns would open intelligence gaps the Democrat-led Congress voted to close just two months ago when updating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). “We are going to finish it next week,” said Mr. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, adding that the procedural move had only slowed action.
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Republicans stopped the legislation, which was expected to pass easily in a vote scheduled for early yesterday afternoon, by announcing plans to submit a motion to recommit. The move, rarely used before this session, lets the minority party try to change bills as they approach final passage. If it passes, the bill is sent back to its originating committee with instructions. Being sent back effectively kills the proposal.The instructions are what made this motion so potent. It would have ordered the bill amended to prohibit the law from interfering with “surveillance needed to prevent Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda, or any other foreign terrorist organization” from attacking the U.S.