Senate passes surveillance bill despite contentious debate over privacy concerns

The Senate voted late Friday to reauthorize a key surveillance authority, avoiding a lapse in the controversial program.

The Senate voted late Friday to reauthorize a key surveillance authority, avoiding a lapse in the controversial program. Lawmakers voted 60-34 to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, after the House passed the measure late last week. The House passed the bill after a new version was put forward for a two-year reauthorization instead of five years, a change that helped appease conservatives who had initially revolted against the legislation. A two-year reauthorization would give former President Donald Trump a chance to overhaul the law if he wins the upcoming presidential election. Congress had been up against a Friday deadline after authority for Section 702 was extended through that date as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Whether Congress would avert the lapse remained in question earlier in the day as senators struggled to reach a deal to renew the key intelligence community surveillance tool. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had told lawmakers to be prepared to work over the weekend, but by Friday evening, locked in a negotiated agreement to vote. “All day long we persisted and persisted and persisted in hopes of reaching a breakthrough, and I’m glad we got it done,” the New York Democrat said, referencing the stalled negotiations that threatened the program.