Congress to review NSA's surveillance of phones, Internet

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Lawmakers will review domestic surveillance laws in the wake of leaked document showing the National Security Agency has collected millions of phone records, which provoked an uproar in the Capitol.

Congress has repeatedly voted to reauthorize language in the 2001 PATRIOT Act granting intelligence agencies broad discretion to collect phone data but many lawmakers were not fully aware of the implication of their votes. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) would review the law and the surveillance program. “Is the program perfect? Of course not,” said Sen Reid. “I think what we should do is make sure Sen. Feinstein has an opportunity to review what has gone on. We’ve tried often to try to make it better and work and we’ll continue to do that,” he added. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a leading Republican on national security issues, said Congress should hold hearings if the NSA’s review of records extended far beyond suspected terrorists.


Congress to review NSA's surveillance of phones, Internet