Senate Clears Foreign Surveillance Renewal Bill for Trump Signature

A bill that would extend for six years authority for intelligence agencies to conduct digital communications surveillance on foreigners abroad passed the Senate Jan. 18 on a 65-34 vote.

It is likely that President Donald Trump will sign the bill before Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702 authority expires Jan. 19. The White House put its support behind the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act (S. 139) after the House approved the bill Jan. 16.

The bill would continue authority under FISA Section 702 for the National Security Agency to conduct communications surveillance on foreign citizens not on U.S. ...