Call for Reader Help: Where Does Your Senator Stand on Spying Immunity?: Two key Senate committees are'working on introducing a measure reworking what powers the government has to wiretap communications transiting phone and internet switches, and the administration and the nation's telecoms are pushing for immunity from lawsuits alleging the companies massively violated the nation's privacy laws by aiding the government's secret spying programs.

The House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees have both passed their versions, which don't grant immunity to the companies. Their bill could get a full vote from the House as early as this week.

But little is known about what the Senate plans to do. The Senate Intelligence Committee, reportedly sympathetic to the telecoms' arguments that the lawsuits aren't fair, is headed by Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia) who counts proposed immunity beneficiaries and their trade organization in his top ten donor list. The Senate Judiciary, by contrast, is headed by Patrick Leahy, the fiery Vermont Democrat whose'attempts to get wiretapping documents from the White House and Justice Department have been repeatedly blocked.

THREAT LEVEL wants an unofficial'cheat sheet'on what senators on these two key committees are thinking.

So we are asking U.S-based readers to check if a senator from their state is on either committee and then call or email to ask whether they believe Congress should grant the nation's telecoms immunity from lawsuits for their participation in the government's secret spying programs.

Feel free after getting an'answer'to register your opinion with your representative (this being a free country and all), but this isn't a lobbying exercise.

THREAT LEVEL wants to know the odds.'

Drop findings to me via email (ryan_singel ATSIGNHERE wired.com) or in the comments, and I'll update the lists below with a spreadsheet regularly'with your findings.

Senate Judiciary:

• Leahy, Patrick J.- (D - Vermont) Chairman - Told CNN on Tuesday that he won't support retroactive immunity without more information
  (202) 224-4242
  E-mail: senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
• Kennedy, Edward M.- (D - Massachusetts)
  (202) 224-4543
  Contact
• Specter, Arlen- (R - Pennsylvania) Ranking Member -'Told CNN Wednesday''I'm'not going to buy a pig in poke and commit to retroactive'immunity when'I don't know what went on. They've kept that from us.'
  (202) 224-4254
  Contact
• Biden, Joseph R., Jr.- (D - Delaware)
  (202) 224-5042
  Contact
• Hatch, Orrin G.- (R - Utah)
  (202) 224-5251
  Contact
• Kohl, Herb- (D - Wisconsin)
  (202) 224-5653
  Contact
• Grassley, Chuck- (R - Iowa)
  (202) 224-3744
  Contact
• Feinstein, Dianne- (D - California)
  (202) 224-3841
  Contact
• Kyl, Jon- (R - Arizona)
  (202) 224-4521
  Contact
• Feingold, Russell D. - (D - Wisconsin)
  (202) 224-5323
  Contact
• Sessions, Jeff- (R - Alabama)
  (202) 224-4124
  Contact
• Schumer, Charles E.- (D - New York)
  (202) 224-6542
  Contact
• Graham, Lindsey- (R - South Carolina)
  (202) 224-5972
  Contact
• Durbin, Richard- (D - Illinois)
  (202) 224-2152
  Contact
• Cornyn, John- (R - Texas)
  (202) 224-2934
  Contact
• Cardin, Benjamin L.- (D - Maryland)
  (202) 224-4524
  Contact
• Brownback, Sam- (R - Kansas)
  (202) 224-6521
  Contact
• Whitehouse, Sheldon- (D - Rhode Island)
  (202) 224-2921
  Contact
• Coburn, Tom- (R - Oklahoma)
  (202) 224-5754
  Contact

Senate Intelligence Committee

• Chairman: Rockefeller, John D. , IV- (D - West Virginia)
  (202) 224-6472
  Contact
• Bond, Christopher S.- (R - Missouri)
  (202) 224-5721
  Contact
• Feinstein, Dianne- (D - California)
  (202) 224-3841
  Contact'''
• Warner, John- (R - Virginia)
  (202) 224-2023
  Contact
• Wyden, Ron- (D - Oregon)
  (202) 224-5244
  Contact
• Hagel, Chuck- (R - Nebraska)
  (202) 224-4224
  Contact
• Bayh, Evan- (D - Indiana)
  (202) 224-5623
  Contact
• Chambliss, Saxby- (R - Georgia)
  (202) 224-3521
  Contact
• Mikulski, Barbara A.- (D - Maryland)
  (202) 224-4654
  Contact
• Hatch, Orrin G.- (R - Utah)
  (202) 224-5251
  Contact
• Feingold, Russell D. - (D - Wisconsin)
  (202) 224-5323
  Contact
• Snowe, Olympia J.- (R - Maine)
  (202) 224-5344
  Contact
• Nelson, Bill- (D - Florida)
  (202) 224-5274
  Contact
• Burr, Richard- (R - North Carolina)
  (202) 224-3154
  Contact
• Whitehouse, Sheldon- (D - RI)
  (202) 224-2921
  Contact

Photo: Hey Paul

(Read Original Article - Via Threat Level.)