NSA-Reforming Act Idle in Congress

The USA Freedom Act, designed to rein in the National Security
Agency (NSA) dragnet, has been
parked in the Judiciary Committee since October. Committee
chairmen are waiting for a reactions and recommendations from the
White House.

The proposed bill is designed to undermine NSA surveillance by,
essentially, making illegal the bulk collection of Americans’ data
that currently occurs under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act.
TechCrunch
explains:

The bill’s
official summary claims that it will end bulk collection of
certain records that is currently based on Section 215′s authority,
limiting collection to things that deal directly with terrorism or
“clandestine intelligence” that are linked to foreign agents,
foreign “power,” or suspected foreign agents, or individuals in
contact with a foreign “power.”

Patriot Act architect Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) introduced
the USA Freedom Act following revelations of the NSA’s
extraordinary scope. In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder,
Rep. Sensenbrenner
declared, “Seizing phone records of millions of innocent people
is excessive and un-American.” It has garnered 130 co-sponsors and
has the support of the American Civil Liberties Union.

NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden sparked reform attempts from
many corners. Outside of the realm of politics, novel,
privacy-enhancing crypto–technologies
and ambitious projects to
decentralize the internet have gained traction in recent
months.

But offical government channels remain the primary means of
reform. Last Tuesday’s global protests, dubbed The Day We Fight
Back, unleashed a torrent of emails and phone calls
encouraging Congress to pass the USA Freedom Act. At one point the
protests against mass surveillance were “kicking 5,000 calls per
hour into Congressional offices,” according
to TechCrunch. Even so, the protests
fell short of grandiose expectations set by the super
successful SOPA/PIPA blackout. The protests haven’t had an
immediate impact on the stalled legislation.

However, the protests signal building momentum. Reformers are
optimistic that The USA Freedom Act, or something else, will
eventually pass. Greg Nojeim, senior counsel with the Center for
Democracy and Technology
told The Hill, “I think that the need for change is
very clear. It’s a question more of when, not whether.”

A deadline built into the Patriot Act
gives surveillance-happy representatives an incentive to reform
quickly. Section 215, the section that authorizes the FISA courts,
will expire next summer. Civil liberties advocates are confident
that reauthorization won’t get enough votes without some sort of
preceding modifications.

Read more from Reason.com on the USA Freedom
Act.