The New York Times is reporting congressional Democrats appear to be backing down from promises made two months ago to roll back broad new wiretapping programs granted to the National Security Agency. A Democratic bill to be proposed today in the House would impose some controls over the NSA’s powers but would give the government broad, blanket authority for wiretapping. Kate Martin of the Center for National Security Studies said: “This still authorizes the interception of Americans’ international communications without a warrant in far too many instances and without adequate civil liberties protections.” Senate Democrats are drafting a competing proposal that might retroactively grant immunity for telecommunications companies that took part in the NSA’s warrantless domestic spying program.