Bush: Make Protect America Act permanent

FORT MEADE, Md., Sept. 19 (UPI) -- President George Bush called upon the U.S. Congress Wednesday to make permanent the Protect America Act reforms to U.S. surveillance efforts.

Speaking to reporters while visiting the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Md., Bush said the law "has helped close a critical intelligence gap, allowing us to collect important foreign intelligence and information about terrorist plots."

The law, passed in August, sunsets Feb. 1. Critics said changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act were written so broadly that the act permits the government to intercept electronic communications from a U.S. citizens to anyone thought to be abroad at the time of the transmission.

At least two congressional committees held hearings on whether the law needs to be amended. Among the witnesses was Michael McConnell, national intelligence director.

McConnell "has warned that unless the FISA reforms in the Act are made permanent, our national security professionals will lose critical tools they need to protect our country," Bush said. "Without these tools, it'll be harder to figure out what our enemies are doing to train, recruit and infiltrate operatives in our country."

Bush said he "looked forward" to working with Congress to "enact this legislation as quickly as possible."