Congress did not authorize NSA's warrantless surveillance program.

During the last Congress the Bush administration pushed for congressional authorization for the warrantless electronic surveillance program it had secretly implemented through the National Security Agency. The Republican-led House dutifully passed this legislation last September, but the Republican-led Senate did not follow suit, either prior to the pre-election adjournment or during the lame-duck session that ended on December 9.

That, of course, is good news for defenders of the Fourth Amendment, which states in part: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated."