The intelligence surveillance law got a 15-day extension from the House and Senate yesterday, after the White House administration proposed to grant telephone companies immunity from lawsuits that may appear if the companies agree to cooperate with authorities in terrorist investigations.

The extension approval passed by unanimous votes in both chambers and the White House also agreed to it, considering the law would have expired this Friday. The Bush administration proposal, called Protect America Act, failed to get a permanent   approval, just like it did in August, when the Congress agreed to it as a temporary measure.

The House and the Senate bills still have not reached an agreement. The Republicans support a bill that allows the government to wiretap phone conversations in case of terrorist suspicions and also grants immunity to telecommunication companies that collaborate without warrant. The Democrats on the other hand wish to limit or eliminate retroactive immunity for telecommunication companies.

The whole situation started after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when AT&T, Verizon Communications Inc and Sprint Nextel Corp faced dozens of lawsuits accusing them of violating the privacy of the American people after quietly agreeing to participate in the government’s communications spying program.

President Bush clearly stated he will not approve another 30-days extension of the law, as the matter has been too long discussed and measures need to be taken now. At the same time, the President said he will only sign a bill that includes the retroactive immunity granting provision. Tuesday’s votes prolonged the discussions, but the two sides will have to reach an agreement sooner or later.

The Republicans believe that if the Senate passed the immunity granting bill, it will be given final approval in the end. But critics of the law say this would only grant the government the right to spy on Americans without a court order. The final law will have to take into consideration both national security interests and the rights of the American citizens.