The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a report to Congress Feb. 14 that calculates the benefits of President Bush's 24 E-Government (E-Gov) Initiatives at approximately $508 million in Fiscal Year 2007, based on agencies' estimates. Congressional skepticism of the Initiatives, and subsequent reluctance to fund them, led OMB to develop a questionable funding mechanism using agency contributions from their annual budgets.

Legislation to reform expansive surveillance authority moved forward in both the House and the Senate recently. The House passed the RESTORE Act (H.R. 3773), which would reform the Protect America Act (PAA), passed in haste before Congress's August recess. The Senate Judiciary Committee narrowly passed the FISA Amendments Act of 2007 (S. 2248) without telecom immunity provisions that were included in the Senate Intelligence Committee bill, setting up a confusing situation that makes it unclear which version will be sent to the Senate floor for consideration.

On Oct. 9, the House introduced two bills to reform the Protect America Act (PAA), passed in haste before Congress' August recess. PAA grants the government the authority to wiretap anyone, including U.S. citizens, without court approval as long as the "target" of the surveillance is reasonably believed to be located outside the country.

The House Committee on the Judiciary and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence held several hearings the week of Sept. 17 on the implications of the Protect America Act (PAA) and its revisions to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Mike McConnell argued that the changes need to be made permanent, while others argued that PAA unnecessarily violates civil liberties.