Wiretaps

==Background==
Vice-President Cheney and Senator Arlen Specter have crafted a bill that would gut the 4th Amendment, and give future Presidents incredible power to spy on Americans. 
==Details==
* The Senate Judiciary Committee delayed a vote on a bill in September, 2006.
* Specter-Cheney wiretapping bill was to face a party-line vote in 2006. 
==Insights==
President G.W. Bush wants this bill. The GOP has the majority and this is expected to be a party-line vote. But with significant public outcry, they may delay the vote until after the Elections or put it off indefinitely.
The Democrats proposed and debated amendments until time ran out, so no vote was held to send the bill to the Senate floor. If the bill gets forced to a Senate vote by other means, the Democrats might filibuster. Knowing they have public support makes a filibuster more likely.
President G.W. Bush broke the law and violated the Fourth Amendment. He allowed the National Security Agency to spy on Americans without a warrant. The Courts told him to stop. In 2006, some in Congress want to re-write the law to "legalize" the President's Constitutional lawbreaking.
The Cheney-Specter bill has complicated provisions that haven't been released to the rest of the Senate! A group of Senators sent Senator Specter a letter that included the following message:
: "We believe Congress needs far more information about the newest section of your bill, which contains numerous complex amendments to FISA that appear to rewrite the law significantly. If Congress is to consider these changes, we should have detailed information about the effects of those provisions."
====Congress needs time to read and consider this bill before votes.====
The "Read the Bills Act" would make this a legal requirement. Sponsors are needed for the Read the Bills Act.
==Links==
* Privacy