Bush urges Congress to pass bill modernizing FISA before recess News
Bush urges Congress to pass bill modernizing FISA before recess

[JURIST] US President George W. Bush [official profile] asked urged Congress Friday to pass legislation [statement; fact sheet] "modernizing" the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) [text; JURIST news archive], calling on members of Congress to postpone their scheduled August recess until the legislation is submitted to the White House for Bush's signature. Bush also threatened to veto any legislation Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell [official profile] thinks does not give the intelligence community what it "needs to prevent an attack on the country." Also Friday, officials indicated that the White House would agree to judicial scrutiny of foreign intelligence activities in exchange for greater government surveillance powers over foreign communications.

Bush stressed the need for modernizing FISA [JURIST report] in his weekly radio address last weekend, saying that the new legislation is necessary to meet threats from terrorists who can now use cell phones and the Internet to communicate. Earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that Democrats are willing to expand government surveillance [JURIST report] over foreign communications under the FISA, but that disagreements with the White House over other issues remained. AP has more.

Breaking News: House Democrats said Friday that talks about expanding FISA have broken down, but White House officials say negotiations are ongoing. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism

November 9 is the International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism [UNITED factsheet]. On November 9, 1924, American gay activist Henry Gerber and several associates formed the Society for Human Rights, the first gay rights organization in the United States. The Society received a charter from the State of Illinois in December but was disbanded in July 1925 after a police raid which led to Gerber's arrest and trial (albeit not conviction). Pay a virtual visit to Henry Gerber House, now a registered Chicago landmark.

Supreme Court strikes down Massachusetts anti-draft law

On November 9, 1970, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 in Massachusetts v. Laird not to hear the case of the state's anti-draft law. Massachusetts had passed a law, which allowed its citizens to decline to fight in any undeclared war, even if the person was drafted. The law was passed in opposition to the draft and the war in Vietnam. The First Circuit found the war constitutional and thus struck down the law.