UPDATE 12/17/07: The combination of a quickly approaching holiday and Chris Dodd's procedural tactics / filibuster threat pursuaded Majority Leader Harry Reid to pull the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act from the floor of the Senate. However, it will come back up in January after the holiday recess. Stay tuned for further action that will be needed in the new year.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has chosen to ignore Chris Dodd's hold and allow the Senate to begin discussion of modifications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that will both expand the government’s powers and give undeserved amnesty to the telcos who participated in the Bush Administration's illegal warrantless wiretapping. Senator Dodd is vowing to filibuster the bill and fellow presidential candidates Obama and Clinton have stated that they will support. Reid seems determined to get this bill passed and Dodd will need 41 brave votes to sustain his filibuster. So pressure from the grassroots will be essential for there to be any hope of preventing this bill from becoming law.

Call Harry Reid and let him know you want to see a FISA bill WITHOUT amnesty that allows the telecommunications companies to be held accountable for any illegal wiretapping they have supported:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: DC # (202) 224-3542

Call presidential candidates Clinton, Obama and Biden and ask them to live up to their previous statements by supporting Dodd's filibuster:

Senator Hillary Clinton: Campaign HQ: (703) 469-2008; DC Office (202) 224-4451

Senator Barack Obama: Campaign HQ: (866) 675-2008; DC Office (202) 224-2854

Senator Joseph Biden: Campaign HQ: (302) 574-2008; DC Office (202) 224-5042

New York's senior senator, Chuck Schumer, voted against amnesty in the Intelligence Committee's version of the bill (which Reid rejected in favor of the Justice Committee version with amnesty). Call Chuck Schumer, thank him for his past opposition to immunity and ask him to support Dodd's filibuster:

Senator Charles Schumer: DC Office: 202-224-6542; NYC Office: 212-486-4430

For more details and background on this legislation, see the Daily Kos posting, Stop the FISA sellout