WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 — The Senate Judiciary Committee today endorsed a bill backed by the White House to have a secret court review the constitutionality of the Bush administration’s eavesdropping program.
By a party-line vote of 10 to 8, the committee sent the bill to the Senate floor, where a vote could come next week. The bill embodies an agreement reached by President Bush and the committee chairman, Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, under which the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court would review the eavesdropping program.
TodayÂ’s vote was a victory for the White House in the continuing debate over the proper balance between national security and personal liberties, but it was far from the last word. Many Democrats are sure to try to derail or amend the measure when the Senate takes it up. Indeed, the Judiciary Committee voted today to send other provisions to the Senate floor for debate, even though they are not wholly compatible with the Specter-White House agreement. |