UPDATE 2-US Democrats vote to curb Bush's warrantless spying

(Adds White House comment, paragraphs 4-5)

By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Defying President George W. Bush, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday to protect the privacy of Americans in his anti-terror spying program and refused to shield phone companies from lawsuits.

The vote in the Democratic-led House was 227-189. Lawmakers voted largely along party lines.

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. If it passes both chambers, the White House has threatened to veto the measure, warning it would hamper electronic spying efforts, subjecting the United States to increased risks.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the bill "fails to give our intelligence community the tools it needs, and it fails to protect companies facing massive lawsuits for allegedly stepping up and answering the nation's call for help after the 9/11 terrorist attacks."

She said Bush would veto such a bill.

House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer defended the measure, saying, "This legislation gives our intelligence community the tools it needs to listen in on those who seek to harm us while addressing concerns that (a Bush-backed) bill passed in August could authorize warrantless surveillance of Americans."

Democrats rejected Bush's demand for retroactive immunity for any telecommunications company that may have taken part in the warrantless domestic spying program begun after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States in 2001.