Senate fails to pass new spying law

The Senate on Monday left the fate of a new electronic surveillance law backed by the Bush administration up in the air, as a Republican-led effort to cut off a Democrat-led debate and proceed to a vote on the bill failed, mostly along party lines.

Heightening the drama surrounding expiration of the existing surveillance law at midnight Thursday, the Senate also failed to approve a Democratic effort to extend the deadline by 30 days.

Congress broadly supports passing a new version of the controversial legislation at issue, named the Protect America Act by its sponsors. But Congressional Democrats and the White House are battling over President Bush’s demands that any bill include immunity for telecommunications companies that cooperated with intelligence agencies in warrantless wiretaps after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.