House set to move quickly on Patriot Act bill

When a similar effort came up in the Senate last year, Republican leaders were actively urging members to oppose it. In the end, it failed to overcome a procedural hurdle by just two votes.

 

It’s unclear whether Senate GOP leaders will adopt a similar position this time around.

 

The new bill would reauthorize three portions of the Patriot Act that are set to expire on June 1, including the controversial Section 215. The National Security Agency has relied upon Section 215 to authorize its bulk collection of records about American phone calls, which was uncovered by Edward Snowden’s leaks about the NSA in 2013.

 

At the same time, it would also place new checks on the nation’s spying powers.

 

“The new legislation contains even stronger protections for Americans’ civil liberties, provides for even greater transparency for both the private sector and government, and prevents government overreach,” an aide on the House Judiciary Committee said.

 

People involved in the negotiations have said it would largely mirror last year’s efforts to rein in the NSA, by forcing the agency to obtain a court order and then request records from individual phone companies. It would also make some changes to the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and outline ways that the government and private companies could divulge more information about the programs.

 

Read More: House set to move quickly on Patriot Act bill | TheHill