U.S. President George W. Bush called for the passage of a wiretapping bill as he commemorated the fifth anniversary of the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday.
"The enemy remains active, deadly in its intent, and in the face of this danger, the United States must never let down its guard," Bush said in a speech.
He hailed U.S. security officials' efforts to foil many planned attacks, including the failed plot to fly an airplane into the tallest building on the West Coast and another to blow up trans-Atlantic passenger jets.
On the wiretapping bill that was stuck in the House of Representatives, Bush said that the floor needs to immediately act on the Senate-passed legislation to resume government's authority to eavesdrop on suspected terrorists.
The Senate bill provides immunity rights from lawsuits for telecommunications companies that participate the government wiretapping program, but without the permission of a secret court created 30 years ago to oversee such activities. The House version does not provide such immunity against lawsuits.
"To stop the attacks on America, we need to know who the terrorists are talking to, what they're saying, what they're planning," Bush said. "We cannot get this vital information without the cooperation of private companies."
The House has said that it would take about 21 days to reconcile the two bills, which is running out this weekend.
"The deadline arrives on Saturday. If House leaders are serious about security, they will need to meet the deadline they set for themselves, pass the bipartisan Senate bill, and get it to my desk this Saturday," Bush said.
Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Bush signed in a law to establish the DHS combining about 170,000 staff in a total 22 authorities and agencies, which was the biggest government reshuffle in the past 50 years, to allow the country to more effectively respond to terrorist attacks.
Source:Xinhua
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