Senator Kit Bond (R-MO), the Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is praising Senate passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act – the nation’s terrorist surveillance law.

The key component of the legislation is the granting of lawsuit immunity to telecommunications companies that, when asked by the federal government, aided in warrantless wiretapping of suspected terrorists. Bond, the lead sponsor of the legislation, says the lawsuits that had been filed against these companies were without merit and were intended simply to stand in the way of the tracking and monitoring of those who would do the U.S. harm.

The FISA bill easily passed the Senate on a 69-28 vote, with Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) joining Senator Bond in supporting the legislation. The bill had already passed the U.S. House and is expected to be signed by President Bush in the next few days.

Download/Listen: Steve Walsh report (:60 MP3)