Earlier this week the Senate passed a new FISA bill that gives AT&T and Verizon retroactive immunity for their decision to hand over your voice & Internet data to Uncle Sam without a warrant or court order. That bill also expands the government's ability to spy on its own citizens without judicial oversight. There is currently a separate bill in the House that expands FISA but does not contain telecom immunity.

These two versions now need to be reconciled in a conference meeting before the final bill is sent to the desk of the President for signing. President Bush has stated he'll veto any bill that does not include telecom immunity. If you're into the whole due process and checks and balances thing, the EFF offers a way for users to e-mail or call their Representatives as this debate heads down to the wire.

If you support telecom immunity you can use that same form (if you change the subject and content) to cheer the idea on. Or you can just wait, given that AT&T and Verizon's lobbying folks usually get what they want.