The FISA bill passed by the Senate today grants amnesty to lawbreaking telecoms for ALL past ILLEGAL wiretapping. Pending court cases are herewith thrown out.

The bill now goes to an eagerly awaiting George Bush, having already passed the House. (Three attempts to strip or modify the amnesty failed.) Other provisions seek to balance safety & civil rights.

With their vote today, the Democratic-led Congress has covered-up years of deliberate surveillance crimes by the Bush administration and the telecom industry, and has dramatically advanced a full-scale attack on the rule of law in this country.

Make no mistake, we're talking about past criminal acts as defined by FISA, acts carrying fines up to $10,000 and/or up to five years prison time per occurrence that are all forgiven now.

Myra