Houses Passes Revamped Spy Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill that overhauls the nation's wiretapping laws, and the same is expected to happen next week when it reaches the Senate.On Thursday Congressional leaders came to agreement over the controversial plan, which extends the government's ability to eavesdrop on espionage and terrorism suspects, and grants immunity to telecom companies, many of which are being sued by customers for helping the government conduct a "warrantless" spying program after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The bill also lets the government conduct "emergency wiretaps" without court orders on Americans for up to week if the information is sensitive, fleeting and in the interest of national security.

"It's vital that our intelligence community has the ability to learn who the terrorists are talking to, what they're saying and what they are planning," said President George Bush, from the Oval Office patio.The Washington Post, Reuters