Civil liberties groups urge Senate to debate surveillance bill

Civil liberties and privacy groups are urging the Senate to debate a handful of amendments that are aimed at beefing up the privacy protections in a controversial surveillance bill.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said he plans to file cloture by the end of the Dec 20 on the FISA Amendments Act, which would reauthorize the 2008 surveillance bill for another five years. The measure gives U.S. officials the authority to conduct surveillance on suspected terrorists abroad without a court order. Sen Reid is currently in discussions with lawmakers about taking up the bill with a limited number of amendments, a Senate aide said. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) are among the senators that hope to have their amendments considered. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Free Press have pressed the public to contact their senators this week about debating these amendments. The groups charge that the surveillance measure lacks transparency and could be used to sweep up American citizens' communications without a warrant.