By Julie Bierach, KWMU
SAINT LOUIS, MO – Republican Senator Kit Bond, vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is urging the passage of terrorist surveillance legislation this week.
Last week, the Senate Intelligence Committee held an Annual Threat Assessment hearing where the Director of National Intelligence, CIA and FBI testified that the US continues to face serious threats from both homegrown and foreign terrorists.
Bond says it's critical that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Amendments Act is passed because the Protect America Act expires February 16th.
"It's essential. If we don't pass this bill and get it signed by the President this week, our intelligence community will go blind and deaf to new terrorist communications coming in which are identified after February 15th."
The terrorist surveillance legislation will be on the senate floor tomorrow.