Spy Law Lapse Blamed for Lost Information 

By Dan Eggen and Ellen Nakashima

Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, February 23, 2008; Page A03

The Bush administration said yesterday that the government “lost intelligence information” because House Democrats allowed a surveillance law to expire last week, causing some telecommunications companies to refuse to cooperate with terrorism-related wiretapping orders.

But hours later, administration officials told lawmakers that the final holdout among the companies had relented and agreed to fully participate in the surveillance program, according to an official familiar with the issue.

The assertions and revisions marked the latest developments in the battle over the Protect America Act, a temporary surveillance law broadening the government’s spying powers that expired last Saturday.

Spy Law Lapse Blamed for Lost Information – washingtonpost.com