House Republicans Overcome Privacy Concerns to Reauthorize Surveillance Law
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House Republicans managed to reauthorize a provision of surveillance law after overcoming divisions within the party that had stalled action.
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A bipartisan amendment to require warrants for analyzing Americans' data tied in a vote, narrowly avoiding passage. The White House whipped votes against it.
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The reauthorization bill passed with a shortened 2-year window instead of 5 years to appease far-right members who want more privacy protections.
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Former President Trump and the White House urged Republicans to support the bill to avoid letting the surveillance authority lapse.
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Privacy advocates decried the bill's passage without a warrant requirement, but former national security officials hailed the bipartisan votes supporting provisions favored by intelligence agencies.