Congress Moves To Limit NSA Surveillance Programs (Maybe)

Senator Dianne Feinstein speaks with director of national intelligence James Clapper, NSA director general Keith Alexander and deputy attorney general James Cole. Photograph: James Reed/Reuters

Senators Push to Preserve N.S.A. Phone Surveillance -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Senate Intelligence Committee appears to be moving toward swift passage of a bill that would “change but preserve” the once-secret National Security Agency program that is keeping logs of every American’s phone calls, Senator Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who leads the panel, said Thursday.

Ms. Feinstein, speaking at a rare public hearing of the committee, said she and the top Republican on the panel, Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, are drafting a bill that would be marked up — meaning that lawmakers could propose amendments to it before voting it out of committee — as early as next week.

After the existence of the program became public by leaks from the former N.S.A. contractor Edward J. Snowden, critics called for it to be dismantled. Ms. Feinstein said her bill would be aimed at increasing public confidence in the program, which she said she believed was lawful.

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More News On Congress "Moving" To Limit NSA Surveillance Programs

U.S. Senate intelligence panel pushes to tighten surveillance -- Reuters
Senate pursues law to limit NSA surveillance -- Boston.com/AP
US lawmakers propose reforming NSA spying powers -- Global Post/AFP
Lawmakers debate how to change NSA surveillance program -- USA Today
House Intelligence Chairman Considering NSA Reform Legislation -- US News and World Report
Senate Starts Debate on Reining In NSA Surveillance -- Wall Street Journal
Sen. Feinstein unveils her own bill to reform the NSA’s spying practices -- Washington Post
NSA defender Feinstein bows to growing pressure, says she’ll offer bill to limit surveillance programs -- McClatchy News
Lawmakers seek to fix 'terrorist lottery loophole' -- Bloomberg
Senators Lash Out At The Media Over Public's NSA Opposition -- Huffington Post
NSA reform: how the key Senate bill seeks to limit surveillance -- Paul Lewis, The Guardian