KSTX: Congress rethinking president’s warrantless wiretapping program

Suggested Host Intro: Congress is rethinking the president’s warrantless wiretapping program . . . San Antonio Democratic Congressman Ciro Rodriquez previously voted with the president, but says he won’t do it again. Matt Laslo reports from Capitol Hill.

NARR: The administration’s warrantless wiretapping program – or FISA – was reauthorized by Congress hours before they broke for August recess. Rodriguez was among forty-one Democrats who voted to keep the program running. He says he felt forced to support it then but now he wants to see changes.  

RODRIGUEZ :14 “The bottom line is that we are a country of laws and the rule of law and we’ve allowed the president not to abide by that and what we are basically saying is that we gotta go back and abide by the law and go through the courts when it comes to American citizens.”

Rodriguez says he supports a new Democratic proposal that forces law enforcement agents to get court approval before carrying out electronic surveillance. Republicans and the administration accuse the new proposal of weakening US security.  

From Capitol Hill, Matt Laslo, Texas Public Radio News.