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Senate‘s 1st Two Bills May Not Win Passage
Senate‘s 1st Two Bills May Not Win Passage Staff and agencies26 January, 2006
By LAURIE KELLMAN, 17 minutes ago WASHINGTON - The Senate opens its 2006 legislative session next week with two measures stalled at the starting gate: renewing the anti-terror USA Patriot Act and establishing a fund to compensate asbestos disease sufferers and stop their lawsuits against American businesses.
The other measure is a bill to compensate asbestos disease sufferers and halt suits the Bush administration says have cost businesses $80 billion.
The measure is in such bad shape that one senator predicted it will only pass with help from a higher power.
Both bills , , ), R-Pa.
Specter also is directing the Senate‘s handling of Samuel Alito ‘s Supreme Court nomination.
On the same day the Senate is scheduled to start debate on the asbestos bill — Feb.
6 — Specter also will preside over the first hearing on whether President Bush exceeded his authority when he ordered wiretaps without warrants of international calls or international e-mails made from inside the United States.
"If you have another short-term extension, it‘s just going to beget another short-term extension," Specter said.
"So I want to fish or cut bait before Feb.
3." At issue is whether the law can be changed to provide enough new privacy safeguards to win support from Senate Democrats and four libertarian-leaning Republicans blo...
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