There were a bunch of signs today that Republican leaders in Congress are not convinced by the Administration’s defense of the NSA surveillance program.
First, Heather Wilson, Chair of a House Intelligence Subcommittee with oversight over the NSA, called for full Congressional hearings on the program. Second, Senator Specter, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced that he plans to introduce legislation requiring the program to be submitted to judges of the FISA court for review. Third, James Sensenbrenner, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, sent Attorney General Gonzales a list of 51 questions about the program, many with several parts. The Sensenbrenner letter can be viewed here in .pdf form.
In response to this resistance, the White House has agreed to brief members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees on the details of the program. The House Committee received its briefing today, and the Senate Committee apparently will be briefed soon. Stay tuned.
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