The Senate approved the House-passed FISA Amendments and Reauthorization Act...
The Senate approved the House-passed FISA Amendments and Reauthorization Act Friday by a 73-23 vote. The bill, which would reauthorize for five years intelligence agencies’ ability to monitor and collect international communications related to foreign terrorist suspects, now awaits President…
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Barack Obama’s signature. In September the administration said it strongly supports the legislation and the president is widely expected to sign the bill before FISA expires on Monday. Senators passed a clean bill and voted down four amendments aimed at increasing congressional oversight over the classified intelligence gathering program (CD Dec 28 p5). The author of the bill, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, in a news release Friday, urged the president to sign it. “HR-5949 enables the intelligence community to gather information on foreign terrorists overseas, while still protecting the civil liberties of U.S. citizens at home and abroad,” Smith said. “The President should sign this bipartisan bill to ensure that our intelligence capabilities are not dismantled and our nation not put in danger.” The Senate reauthorization bill (S-3276) languished after revelations that the government had abused its powers. Government officials acknowledged in a July letter to Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., that NSA surveillance had gone further than is permitted by FISA (CD Aug 31 p1).