WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate agreed on Monday to extend a set of government surveillance tools for 77 days, to allow lawmakers time to consider broader changes to the divisive domestic eavesdropping program.
FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Capitol building exterior is seen at sunset as members of the Senate participate in the first day of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in Washington, U.S., January 21, 2020. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger.
The Senate had been due to begin voting on Monday evening on a bill passed in the House of Representatives last week that would have reauthorized and reformed the program.
Instead, senators agreed unanimously on the temporary extension to allow consideration of amendments to the House bill.
In a rare bipartisan vote, the Democratic-led House had backed the “USA FREEDOM Reauthorization Act of 2020” on Wednesday. But the measure, which renews and updates domestic surveillance rules under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA),…
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