Conyers criticizes opposition of FISA bill

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., Saturday defended his proposed Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act legislation.

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee took time during the weekly Democratic Radio Address to criticize congressional Republicans and President George Bush for opposing his legislation, a Democratic National Committee transcript of the speech showed.

Conyers said while high-ranking Republicans support the FISA law in its initial form, they were unjustly against an altered version he said would help protect citizens' civil liberties.

The representative said his legislation would have extended the temporary August version of the law, which granted federal officials increased surveillance powers, for 21 days prior to its expiration last Saturday.

"The president and House Republicans simply can't have it both ways," Conyers said of the proposed extension, which was voted down by all House Republicans and rejected by Bush. "They cannot argue simultaneously that the temporary August law was essential to national security, and then turn around and engineer the defeat of an extension of it."

Conyers added that a new law being hammered out by Congress should support national security efforts while still ensuring citizens' rights are preserved.