Oregon Public Broadcasting

In Washington, the House passed a compromise bill Friday on a new surveillance wiretapping bill.

It gives the Administration broad powers to listen in on phone calls without a warrant. The legislation also moves phone companies closer to getting legal protection for wiretapping after 9-11.

The Senate will vote next week, where it's also expected to pass. Ethan Lindsey reports.

All four Oregon Democratic House members voted against the compromise. Hood River Rep. Greg Walden voted for it.

Portland Democrat Rep. Earl Blumenauer says cases in the recent past in Oregon guided his vote.

Earl Blumneauer: “We've had examples here of what can happen when people's rights get roughshod. It's interesting to me, Oregonians are on the whole quite skeptical, interested in protecting personal freedom. And if it were left up to the Oregonians, things would look a lot different.”

Oregon's Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden holds a key vote on intelligence issues such as this -- he has yet to say how he's going to vote on the wiretapping bill. But he has pushed against immunity for the phone companies in the past.

Oregon Republican Sen. Gordon Smith hasn't yet said anything about this bill, but voted for similar wiretapping legislation in February.