Edward Snowden depicted on a German parade float. The US Senate is set to reconvene on May 31 for a last-minute session regarding an NSA spy program that Snowden revealed in 2013. Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images
The National Security Agency's access to phone-call data may well be cut off -- at least temporarily -- after the US Senate failed to reach a compromise about a controversial NSA surveillance program prior to a crucial deadline.
The Senate failed Saturday to pass an extension of provisions of the USA Patriot Act that expire June 1 and have served as the legal justification for the NSA's current,http://www.pistolchick.com/wp-rdf.php?6-geographie, wholesale collection of telephone data. The spy agency has said such collection is crucial in fighting terrorism.
Earlier in the same session, the Senate had killed a reform bill -- the USA Freedom Act -- passed by the House and backed by the Obama administration. That legislation would have allowed collection to continue,http://www.bluescamp.no/layout-styles.php?trekning-gruppespillet-champions-league-20142015/, but in a newly restricted way designed to safeguard constitutional rights regarding privacy,http://www.umursiparis.com/wp-xml.php?mundial/, while protecting national security.
The heated back-and-forth over the agency's surveillance programs has been going on for two years,http://www.producteursdemaregion.com/_error.php?stores/realmadrid/fr/products/kitselector/away-kit-15-16/real-madrid---maillot-ext%25C3%25A9rieur-15-16---manches-longues---enfant-/161338, since former NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked details of the programs to journalists. The Freedom Act would require the agency to seek a court order on a case-by-case basis to obtain call data from telephone companies -- rather than scooping up data itself in bulk and examining it with an OK from the special,http://www.pistolchick.com/wp-register.php?Maillot-Rapid-Vienne-2015-2016-cbaaaakqa.asp, secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Critics have said a new legal process would be too slow and would hamper the NSA's counterterrorism efforts. Reform supporters,http://www.showbusinessreport.com/wp-diff.php?produits/9291-maillot-domicile-as-monaco-2015-2016-nike, however,http://www.jurtech.dk/Support.php?real-madrid, have and have said the reform bill would help ensure individual liberties.
The Senate is set to reconvene after its Memorial Day recess for a rare Sunday session -- on May 31 -- to vote again on a Patriot Act extension,http://www.tilmanngrawe.com/wp-theme.php?manchester-city-c-10_59.html, and possibly reconsider the Freedom Act. But any extension would need to be approved by the House, which isn't scheduled to meet again until after the June 1 expiration deadline. That means the NSA's phone-data collection could lapse altogether for a time.
Members of the surveillance community say a failure to renew the Patriot Act would threaten national security. The US would face "considerable risk and uncertainty,http://onestopkidspartyshop.com.au/layout-styles.php?blog-274-Barca_wants_to_sign_Verratti_Bartomeu_hopes_Alves_stay.html," Bloomberg unnamed officials as saying. And while advocating, Saturday,http://uniquecreatures.com.au/wp-db.php?audemars-piguet-royal-oak-offshore-survivor-asia-rose-goldap36.php, for a last-minute extension to the Patriot Act,http://www.pistolchick.com/wp-content.php?british-leagues-c7/, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) pointed to terrorism.
"This is a high threat period," McConnell said,http://www.greatfoodclub.co.uk/wp-title.php?FA_Womens_Super_League/2013.html, blog Politico. "We better be ready next Sunday afternoon to prevent the country from being in danger by total expiration of the program that we're all familiar with."

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