Lawmakers signal push for spying oversight

WASHINGTON -- After two weeks of confusing debate in Congress over President Bush's domestic spying operation, lawmakers appear determined to exercise oversight over the program. Just what form the congressional supervision eventually will take, however, is far from settled.

The House and Senate Intelligence committees, whose loyal Republican chairmen have long resisted taking action critical of the administration, have been prodded at least to agree to hold closed hearings on the president's decision to order warrantless electronic surveillance inside the United States.

But the Senate Intelligence Committee put off a decision this week on whether to launch a formal inquiry into the program, postponing a vote on that issue until March 7. The House committee has yet to decide on an investigation, although members say a debate is expected.

Meanwhile, two senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over the secret federal surveillance court established to issue the warrants, are pressing ahead with proposed legislation to impose some form of judicial and congressional review on the National Security Agency, which conducts the surveillance.

The issue might cool while Congress is on its Presidents' Day break. But after weeks of refusing to brief Congress on the program or discuss legislation to authorize it, the Bush administration has given way on both fronts. Briefings for members of the Intelligence committees began last week. This past week, the White House agreed to discuss legislation to authorize the program.

The critical push for oversight has come from moderate Republicans, including Representative Heather Wilson, Republican of New Mexico and a former National Security Council staff member who is a leading voice among centrists on national security issues.

Wilson chairs the Intelligence subcommittee that oversees the NSA. Her call last week for a full congressional inquiry spurred the White House decision to change course and brief all members of the Intelligence committees about the highly classified program.

Another force among Republicans is Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. A hearing he chaired on Feb. 6 to obtain testimony from Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales seemed to convince many Republicans, including Wilson, that the president's legal rationale for the program was weak.

Senator Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, breaking ranks with the president on domestic eavesdropping, said Friday that he wants a special court to oversee the program. But less than a day later, a top aide to the Republican from Kansas sought to clarify his position.

Roberts told The New York Times he is concerned that the secret court established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act could not issue warrants as quickly as required, but he is optimistic the problem could be worked out.

Material from the Associated Press was included in this report.