NSA reform bill stalled with Congress headed toward fall recess

Members of Congress are set to leave Washington for an extended fall recess in a few days

The U.S. Congress is unlikely to pass legislation to end the National Security Agency's widespread collection of U.S. telephone records before leaving Washington, D.C., on a two-month break.

Congress is scheduled to leave town for its fall recess by the end of this week, with the USA Freedom Act still awaiting action in the Senate. Members of Congress will head back to their home districts to campaign for November's elections, with all members of the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate on the ballot.

The USA Freedom Act, with significant support in the House and the Senate, still has some lawmakers questioning whether reining in the NSA's phone records collection program would hurt the U.S. government's war on terrorism.

Absent congressional action, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence announced late Friday that they have asked for, and received, court authorization to continue the telephone records collection program. The U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court reauthorized the program to continue until Dec. 5, with some limits proposed by President Barack Obama earlier this year.

It's important to "maintain the capabilities" of the telephone records program, "given that legislation has not yet been enacted," the two agencies said in a joint statement.

The House passed a watered-down version of the USA Freedom Act in May, but several senators have pushed for a pumped up version that they say would end the NSA's bulk collection of U.S. phone records.

The Senate version of the bill has even won the support of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. But Congress has several other issues to deal with in coming days, including a continuing resolution to continue funding the government and a request from President Barack Obama to assist a fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham [ISIS] in the Middle East.

Earlier this month, just after Congress returned from its summer recess, four tech trade groups urged the Senate to pass the USA Freedom Act.

Supporters of the bill said they're disappointed Congress hasn't passed the bill, but suggested it may still have life in a so-called lame duck session following November's election. Congress could also start over with a new bill after new members are seated in January.

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NSA reform bill stalled with Congress headed toward fall recess