Roy Blunt: “I appreciate that. I do hope we can find a permanent solution here. I think that the 2 weeks is important. I also think…”

“I appreciate that. I do hope we can find a permanent solution here. I think that the 2 weeks is important. I also think it's important that that law not be allowed to expire, which made this 2 weeks a significant development. At the same time, the question of immunity hasn't been addressed, and I don't think we can continue to put that question off. I did notice last week when we discussed this, an article that I hadn't seen yet, and my good friend the majority leader read from that article to me a section that indicated that the work was in progress could keep on in progress for a long time. That was in the New York Times on January 23. There was another paragraph that I surmised at the time might be there, but was there, that said 'There is risk,' according to this assistant Attorney General Mr. Weinstein, Weinstein said, 'the officials would not be able to use their broadened authority to identify and focus on new suspects and would have to revert to the more restrictive pre-August standards if they wanted to eavesdrop on someone.' Those pre-August standards were, in my view, troublesome. I hope we don't revert to them, but we can't put the immunity issue off forever, and I am going to do everything I can, as I believe the majority leader is inclined to do as well, to encourage the Senate to move this process along so we can bring it to some conclusion.”