White House: Pass NSA reform, avoid ‘brinksmanship and uncertainty’

In a statement of administration policy, the Obama Administration called the USA Freedom Act “a reasonable compromise that enhances privacy and civil liberties and increases transparency.”

“Without passage of this bill, critical authorities that are appropriately reformed in this legislation could expire next summer,” the White House added. “The administration urges Congress to take action on this legislation now, since delay may subject these important national security authorities to brinksmanship and uncertainty.”

The bill from Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) would end the National Security Agency’s (NSA) bulk collection of phone records in the U.S. and require the agency to obtain a court order before searching private companies’ databases, among other changes. Without reform, the authority to search for those records will end entirely in June, which intelligence officials say would be disastrous for country’s national security.