One excludes a provision featured in the rival bill that would require a warrant for queries of U.S. citizens’ communications.
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) authorizes the warrantless surveillance of foreign nationals located outside the United States.
Federal officials say the program is essential to protecting the homeland from foreign threats.
However, regular abuse by FBI employees using the program to spy on U.S. citizens has raised questions about how the law could be changed to protect both national security and basic privacy rights.
Now, with Section 702 set to expire on Dec. 31, both congressional chambers are in a scramble to find a solution that works for everyone—or at least the required majority.
In the eyes of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio), the best solution is the bill that his committee approved on Dec. 7, the “FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act,” which he sponsored.
