Senate passes anti-terrorism bill that widens wiretap authority

The United States Senate passed an anti-terrorist bill late last night that would give law-enforcement agencies greater power in their surveillance of suspected terrorists.

A key provision of the USA Act of 2001 concerns “roving wiretaps,” which would allow law-enforcement agencies to apply a court order for a wiretap to all telephones lines being used by a suspected terrorist. Currently, an order is valid for one specific line.

According to CNN, Senate leadership is urging the House to adopt the Senate version of the bill to speed its passage. The House version contains a two-year “sunset” provision; as a compromise, the Senate--whose version contains no sunset provision—has suggested a five-year sunset. The Bush Administration is against any type of sunset provision.

--Glenn Bischoff, senior writer