CDT has the text of both the Wyden and Grassley amendments mentioned below and Grassley's comments before the Senate.  The potential toothlessness lies here:

"Notwithstanding any other provision of law, commencing 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, no funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Defense, whether to an element of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or any other element, or to any other department, agency, or element of the Federal Government, may be obligated or expended on research and development on the Total Information Awareness program unless--

[...]

(2) the President certifies to Congress in writing, that--

(A) the submittal of the report to Congress within 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act is not practicable; and

(B) the cessation of research and development on the Total Information Awareness program would endanger the national security of the United States."

...or do they?

"Saying they feared government snooping against ordinary Americans, U.S. senators voted on Thursday to block funding for a Pentagon computer project that would scour databases for terrorist threats.

By a voice vote, the Senate voted to ban funding for the Total Information Awareness program, under former national security adviser John Poindexter, until the Pentagon explains the program and assesses its impact on civil liberties."

The provision has been tacked onto the Omnibus Appropriations Bill currently being considered by the Senate.  If it makes it through the House and Senate, TIA wouldn't be able to be operationally deployed, and here's the key, EXCEPT IN CASES OF NATIONAL SECURITY.  Given this Administrations penchant for using their executive powers, this provision would seem a little more toothless than the article is making it out to be.  The text isn't up yet, but I'll keep an eye out for it to see if I'm missing something from the Post's summary.

[via DrudgeReport]