“It’s time for the Democratic leaders to put our national security ahead of the desires of trial lawyers and pass the FISA bill that was passed by the Senate,” the lawmaker said. “This Congress should make this legislation one of its top priorities until the intelligence gap is closed.”

Republicans and the White House have engaged in an all-out campaign to get House Democratic leaders to take up a version of the bill that was passed with bipartisan support in the Senate. One of the most contentious issues remaining is whether telecommunications companies should get retroactive immunity if they helped the government with eavesdropping initiatives following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. While Republicans support such a provision and it is included in the Senate bill, House Democrats say it needs to be stripped out.