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Lawmakers vote to reauthorize US spying law that critics say expands government surveillance
House and Senate lawmakers passed a bill reauthorizing the controversial Section 702 powers under FISA, which allows U.S. spy agencies to conduct warrantless searches of Americans' communications.
White House officials and spy chiefs rallied behind efforts to reauthorize FISA, arguing the law prevents terrorist and cyber attacks and that a lapse in powers would harm the U.S. government’s ability to gather intelligence. Accusations that the FBI and the NSA abused their authority to conduct warrantless searches on Americans’ communications became a key challenge for some Republicans initially seeking greater privacy protections. Despite the last-minute rush to pass the bill, a key provision in FISA prevents the government’s programs under Section 702 from suddenly shutting down in the event of lapsed legal powers.
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