Privacy advocates and the intelligence community have painted vastly different pictures over whether a powerful surveillance authority contains enough privacy protections for Americans, as lawmakers look to act before the program’s statutory authority expires next week.
At issue in the sprawling debate is the extent of the changes passed last Congress during the last reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, when national security hawks fended off an attempt from privacy advocates to require a warrant requirement for certain searches.
The clash over the spy authority is expected to once again be on display at the House Rules Committee Tuesday, about a week before the statutory authority expires on April 20. One of the amendments filed at the committee, from Arizona Republican Reps. Andy Biggs and Eli Crane, seeks to add a warrant requirement.
