House rejects FISA stopgap extension

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday voted not to extend the Protect America Act for 21 days so lawmakers could consider intelligence-gathering changes.

The extension bill failed 191-229, CNN reported. The Senate Tuesday passed a reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which would make changes to wiretapping rules and monitoring of foreign terrorist suspects, and would grant legal immunity to telecommunications companies that provided information to federal investigators without a warrant.

The House previously passed a measure that does not include the immunity provision.

While praising the Senate for passing "a good bill," President George Bush said Wednesday he would not sign an extension of the Protect America Act, a temporary intelligence-gathering measure due to expire Saturday.