U.S. President George W. Bush on Thursday urged the U.S. Congress to reauthorize the Protect America Act before they leave for a recess. The Act, which was initially set to expire on the February 1, 2008, was extended until the 16 of February by Bush. The Act, which was initially introduced in 1978, is the reincarnation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The act, which allows for wiretapping without a warrant when the target of surveillance is a foreign intelligence target located outside the United States, was passed with amendments unanimously in the Senate in 2007. The Act's reauthorization was passed in the U.S. Senate, but is up for review in the House of Representatives. Bush urged House members to pass the “strong bill” that would “ensure that we can effectively monitor those seeking to harm our [American] people.” During his statement, Bush urged the House to pass the bill with the liability protection in order to provide incentives for companies who participate in the surveillance. Bush said that he wants the House to pass the Senate bill which provided “fair and just liability protection for companies that assisted in the efforts to protect America after the attacks of September the 11th [the terrorist attacks on America on September 11, 2001]. Without this protection, without this liability shield, we may not be able to secure the private sector's cooperation with our intelligence efforts. And that, of course, would put the American people at risk.” Bush, who is planned to leave on Friday for a week-long trip to Africa, said he would delay the trip if it would provide motivation for the House to pass the bill.
