Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Senate clears 77-day extension of surveillance powers

Senate clears 77-day extension of surveillance powers

The Senate cleared a nearly four-month extension of intelligence programs that expired on Sunday as part of a deal that will also allow for votes on broader surveillance reforms.
The Senate had been expected to hold an initial procedural vote Monday on the House-passed bill that paired extension of the three expired USA Freedom Act provisions with some changes to the court established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

Instead, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) came to the floor minutes before the scheduled vote and passed a 77-day extension of the three USA Freedom Act provisions by voice vote.

The extension is retroactive to Saturday. It still needs to pass the House, which is currently out of town. Asked if they could support the Senate deal, a senior Democratic House aide told The Hill that “leadership [is] discussing.”

To pass the House without bringing lawmakers back for a vote, it would need consent from every member. One hundred and thirty six members voted against the House deal last week; it's unclear if any of those members would return to Washington, D.C., this week to block a clean short-term extension.

The three provisions of USA Freedom impacted by the Senate extension are a "lone wolf" program, dealing with individuals potentially inspired by but not directly linked to a terrorist organization; "roving" wiretaps that let the government track an individual across multiple devices; and Section 215 which includes a controversial phone records collection program.

Senate Republicans had indicated on Monday that they had reopened negotiations with privacy hawks on a short-term extension. Privacy hawks had tried last week to pair a 45-day extension with votes on changes to the House bill, but Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) blocked that.

“We’re working on trying to process both of these measures. Those discussions have been underway over the weekend, and we’re hoping to move with dispatch on both the House [coronavirus] passed bill, once we get it, and some way to move forward with the FISA issue as well,” McConnell told reporters about the ongoing discussions.

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), his No. 2, said they were trying to figure out if a “short-term extension” could pass.

As part of the deal, the Senate will vote on amendments once it turns to the House legislation, including a proposal from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to block FISA warrants from being used against Americans.

It is also expected to vote on an amendment from Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) that would bolster legal protections for individuals targeted for surveillance.

The deal comes after Paul and Lee and their allies were able to throw up procedural roadblocks to prevent the Senate from passing the House bill last week ahead of Sunday's deadline, forcing the intelligence programs to lapse.

Opponents of the House bill argue it does not go far enough to reform the surveillance courts, which have been subjected to growing scrutiny after Justice Department inspector general Michael Horowitz found 17 inaccuracies and omissions in the warrant applications targeting Trump campaign associate Carter Page.

"We applaud the many senators who refuse to cave to efforts to jam a weak surveillance bill through Congress without debate and amendments,” said American Civil Liberties Union senior legislative counsel Neema Singh Guliani in a statement. “The inadequate House bill must be amended to further reform the intelligence courts, limit large-scale collection of Americans’ information, and ensure the government complies with its constitutional obligations."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×