Pressure continues on intelligence overhaul

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Pressure is continuing on the Bush White House to push House Republican leaders to back a massive overhaul of the nation's intelligence system.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers have called on President Bush to pressure Republican leaders to allow a House vote on compromise legislation that would make the biggest changes to the intelligence community in decades.

Lawmakers including Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said Sunday President Bush should use his self-proclaimed political capital to pressure GOP Reps. Duncan Hunter of California and James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin to back the intelligence reform deal hashed out by Senate and Republican negotiators.

"I think he's going to have to (pressure Republicans) sooner or later, and he's going to have speak with one voice," Roberts said on CNN's Late Edition.

Hunter and Sensenbrenner continue to lead the GOP assault on the deal, arguing it gives too much power of military intelligence matters to a new civilian authority and fails to address immigration needs.

Although there are enough votes to gain passage of the measure in the House, Republican leaders did not want to rely on Democrats to gain approval of the deal.