Bush: FISA bill protects civil liberties

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush Thursday chided the House leadership for not bringing up for a vote the Senate-passed intelligence gathering measure.

Without the legislation, and its immunity for telecommunications companies who cooperated with federal government, "we cannot protect our country from terrorist attack," Bush said during a White House news conference.

The Senate version of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act include the immunity provision. House passed a version without immunity and House leadership did not bring the Senate version to the floor before the Presidents' Day recess.

Passed last year, the Protect America Act, a temporary measure updating the 30-year-old FISA, expired earlier this month.

Bush said not passing the reauthorization "raises the risk of re-opening a gap in intelligence-gathering" that was closed when the Protect America Act was passed.

Asked whether those who thought their privacy was violated by government eavesdropping but lacked the ability to sue would have to "suck it up," Bush said civil liberties were protected by analysts "and treated with respect."