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U.S. NEWS A3
Friday 12 January 2018
House OKs spy program after Trump tweets spark confusion
By DEB RIECHMANN House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., speaks during a news conference, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, on ing.”
JONATHAN LEMIRE National Intelligence Direc-
Associated Press Capitol Hill in Washington. After a morning of confusing tweets by President Donald Trump, the tor Dan Coats applauded
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- the House action, saying it
dent Donald Trump’s puz- House on Thursday passed a bill to reauthorize a key foreign intelligence collection program was a critical step in pro-
zling tweets about a key tecting Americans and U.S.
U.S. spying law threw the with an important tweak: It requires the FBI to get a warrant if it wants to view the contents of allies and “I have faith that
House into temporary disar- my former colleagues in
ray Thursday, but lawmak- Americans’ communications swept up in the process. the Senate will follow the
ers ended up renewing the House’s lead.”
law — with a new restriction (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) “Our security is not a parti-
on when the FBI can dig san issue,” said Coats, a for-
into the communications of Trump has said he’ll sign the used, with the help of the surveillance of foreign bad mer senator from Indiana.
Americans swept up in for- Lawmakers had begun the
eign surveillance. renewal, but his first tweets discredited and phony guys on foreign land,” he day readying for two votes
During a hectic morning related to the program that
of House votes and presi- Thursday suggested he had Dossier, to so badly surveil tweeted. “We need it! Get intelligence officials call the
dential tweets, Trump’s na- “holy grail” because it pro-
tional intelligence director suddenly turned against and abuse the Trump Cam- smart!” vides insight into the think-
also issued new guidance ing and actions of U.S. ad-
for how officials can find the program, alarming in- paign by the previous ad- Democrats pounced on his versaries.
out the names of Ameri- While the program focuses
cans whose identities are telligence officials. ministration and others?” earlier criticism. on foreign targets, Ameri-
blacked out in classified in- cans’ emails, phone calls
telligence reports. In one tweet, Trump linked Trump then spoke by tele- “This is irresponsible, untrue, and other communica-
Trump has said previous tions get vacuumed up in
rules were far too lax and the program to a dossier phone with House Speaker and frankly it endangers the process. Privacy advo-
led to damaging leaks cates and lawmakers from
about top aides, a claim that alleges his presidential Paul Ryan, according to a our national security,” Sen. both parties have argued
fiercely contested by Dem- for years that government
ocrats. campaign had ties to Rus- Republican familiar with Mark Warner of Virginia, the agencies should have to
The new guidelines on “un- get warrants if they want
masking” Americans, how- sia. the call but not allowed Senate intelligence com- to look at Americans’ com-
ever, were a side show to munications in the data-
the House showdown over “’House votes on contro- to publicly discuss private mittee’s top Democrat, base.
the Foreign Intelligence The bill approved by the
Surveillance Act, reautho- versial FISA ACT today,’” conversations. tweeted. “FISA is something House allows the FBI to
rizing a collection program continue scanning the da-
set to expire on Jan. 19. The Trump wrote, citing a Fox And a short time later, the President should have tabase, using search terms,
bill passed 256-164 and is for information on Ameri-
now headed to the Sen- News headline. “This is the Trump changed his tune. known about long before cans. But it would require
ate. It would extend for six investigators to get prob-
years the program, which act that may have been “This vote is about foreign he turned on Fox this morn- able cause warrants to
includes massive monitor- view the actual content in
ing of international com- cases unrelated to national
munications. security.q
Senator: Drilling plan carve-out for Florida may be illegal
By MATTHEW DALY Zinke’s action is especial- Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Sen. Lisa protection of Florida’s sen-
Associated Press ly outrageous because Murkowski, R-Alaska, right, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., sitive coastal and marine
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Florida — unlike Califor- gesture during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Cantwell resources should be of
Trump administration may nia, Washington and other said Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s decision to give Florida a paramount concern” in
have violated federal law states — did not expressly last-minute drilling exemption may violate requirements of the developing a drilling plan.
by exempting Florida from oppose the drilling pro- Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which governs drilling in U.S. By contrast, the gover-
a national plan to expand posal in written comments coastal waters. nors of California, Oregon
offshore drilling, a Demo- submitted to the Interior and Washington told Inte-
cratic senator charged Department, Cantwell (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) rior they “strongly oppose
Thursday. said. While Florida Gov. any new leasing” off their
Sen. Maria Cantwell of Rick Scott voiced opposi- coasts and asked to be re-
Washington state said tion soon after the plan’s moved from the plan.
Interior Secretary Ryan Jan. 4 release, a letter By exempting Florida but
Zinke’s decision to give submitted by the state De- not other states, Zinke
Florida a last-minute ex- partment of Environmen- showed he is “more con-
emption while ignoring at tal Protection last year cerned with politics than
least 10 other states that did not oppose the drilling proper process when it
made similar requests may plan or ask for Florida to comes to making key
violate requirements of the be exempted. Instead, the decisions that affect our
Outer Continental Shelf letter warned about the coastal communities,”
Lands Act, which governs effects of oil and gas ac- said Cantwell, the top
drilling in U.S. coastal wa- tivities on the environment Democrat on the Senate
ters. and urged that “long-term Energy Committee.q
