House debates surveillance in rare private session

The House held a closed session late Thursday for the first time in 25 years to discuss a contested terrorism surveillance bill.

Republicans requested privacy for what they termed “an honest debate” on the new Democratic measure, which is opposed by the White House and most Republicans in Congress.

Lawmakers were forbidden to disclose what was said during the hourlong session. The extent to which minds were changed, if at all, should be more clear today, when the House is expected to openly debate and then vote on the bill.

Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas) said that she didn’t believe anyone changed positions but that the session was useful because no one would be able to complain today that their views had not been heard.

“We couldn’t have gone more of an extra mile to make sure we’re doing the best for national security,” she said.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Michigan, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said in an interview that he read aloud the titles -- but not details -- of intelligence reports that showed “the nature of the global threat and how dynamic the situation is.”

Hoekstra said the House discussed the procedures that intelligence agencies used to protect the identities of innocent Americans whose calls and e-mails were incidentally intercepted.

Hoekstra said three Democrats and eight or nine Republicans spoke.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said “there was nothing new, nothing that wasn’t public, nothing that can’t and shouldn’t be debated on the floor [today] in open session.”

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) said he heard nothing new that would change his mind about the bill.

“I will urge members on both sides of the aisle to vote for this legislation” today, Hoyer said.

The last closed session in the House was in 1983, on U.S. support for paramilitary operations in Nicaragua. Since 1825, about five have taken place.

Four members declined to sign the confidentiality oath required to participate in the closed session, House staff members said.

Many Democrats initially objected, calling it a political ploy by Republicans to delay a vote on the bill.

House leaders did push off the scheduled vote until today, just before taking a two-week recess.

If it passes, the bill will need Senate approval before going to the president.

President Bush has vowed to veto it, saying it would undermine national security.

Bush opposes it in part because it doesn’t provide full retroactive legal protection to telecommunications companies that helped the government eavesdrop on customers without court permission after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.