Republicans
move to extend spies' power to collect phone data
Send a link to a friend
[April 23, 2015]
By Mark Hosenball and Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a move likely to
re-ignite public debate in America over electronic spying, Republicans
have introduced a bill in the Senate to extend a controversial law
empowering the government's bulk collection of U.S. telephone records.
|
President Barack Obama and many in Congress want to retain the
mass data-collection program as a national security tool but want
substantial changes in the program, which was secret until disclosed
two years ago by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is sponsoring a bill to
extend until Dec. 31, 2020, a provision of the USA Patriot Act that
the National Security Agency used to collect and store vast
quantities of "metadata" charting telephone calls made by Americans.
The law is due to expire on June 1.
Republicans said they would expedite Senate consideration of
McConnell's bill, which was submitted late on Tuesday, by sending it
directly to the Senate floor rather than considering it first in
committee.
Richard Burr, the Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence
Committee, acknowledged that prospects for the bill's passage were
uncertain but said it would establish the parameters for debate.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Apr/23/images/ads/current/topflight_west_sda_101414.png)
The NSA program to collect and analyze telephone metadata was
authorized by Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
It collected information about which U.S. phone numbers called other
numbers and how long calls lasted, not their content. It was roundly
condemned by civil liberties groups as an invasion of privacy.
A panel Obama appointed found no evidence it ever led to a
counter-terrorism breakthrough.
In the wake of Snowden's revelations, Obama ordered the scope of the
program to be limited and said he wanted the law reformed to have
the data stored by telephone companies. The companies are resisting
such a change.
[to top of second column]
|
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Apr/23/images/ads/current/st_claras_lda_082114.png)
Several experts said McConnell's bill would extend the existing law
without modifying it as Obama wanted.
The White House declined comment.
Former intelligence officials said Obama could face heavy pressure
to sign the type of bill McConnell introduced to avoid being blamed
for an attack if he vetoed such a measure and the program was
allowed to end.
Senator Patrick Leahy, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary
Committee, said he would oppose any reauthorization that did not
include significant reforms.
In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union urged Congress to
let the current law expire on June 1.
(Reporting by Mark Hosenball and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by David
Storey and Cynthia Osterman)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Apr/23/images/ads/current/brickey_lda_061314.png) |