WASHINGTON, DC – Chief Deputy Whip Diana DeGette (D-CO) today released the following statement as she voted in favor of a 21-day extension of the Protect America Act, which addresses the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA):
                                                                 
“We need to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in a way that strikes the proper balance between protecting Americans from terrorists and protecting our civil liberties. In November of last year, I supported a strong House bill – the RESTORE Act – that improved the current law.

“However, the Senate took a different approach. In particular, the Senate bill provides blanket retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies who allegedly cooperated with the Bush Administration’s warrantless wiretapping program. I strenuously oppose this provision.

“The three-week extension would have allowed Congress to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions.”
 
The bill that provided for this three week extension failed to pass the House of Representatives on a vote of 191 to 229.