WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (AFP) - The US House of Representatives, dominated by President George W. Bush's Republican Party, on Friday adopted controversial reforms of the US intelligence structure which many Democrats argued give too much power to law enforcement.
The bill, adopted 282-134, now must be reconciled with a draft adopted almost unanimously by the Senate on Wednesday, with the goal of having Bush sign the bill into law before the year's end.
Three weeks ahead of the US presidential and legislative elections, the votes in Congress highlight lawmakers' interest in underscoring their determination to be seen as standing firm against terrorism.
Reform of intelligence-gathering agencies was called for by the independent inquiry into the September 11, 2001 terror strikes, and has been backed by victims' families.
But the clashes in the House of Representatives over its draft and the Senate's suggest the fight over the legislation is not yet over.
"Yet again, the House Republican leadership has chosen to legislate in an exclusionary, partisan process, resulting in a bill that not only falls short of many of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations, but also contains divisive, extraneous provisions," Democrat Steny Hoyer said.
"Many of my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, have expressed their concerns about the unnecessary expansion of law enforcement authority, the undermining of immigrants' fundamental rights, and the erosion of basic civil liberties contained in H.R. 10. I share those concerns," he stressed.