WASHINGTON — The House is poised to pass a bipartisan bill Wednesday intended to dial back the National Security Agency program that collects and stores Americans’ telephone data and that a federal appeals court has ruled is illegal. The proposed reform bill would leave customers’ toll records with telephone companies, not the NSA. The government would need a court order to access specific records for terrorism or espionage investigations.
The Obama administration is backing the House bill, which is expected to draw Republican and Democratic majorities, as a compromise that protects privacy and civil liberties while preserving the government’s ability to track terrorism suspects and their contacts.
But it sets up a conflict with Republican leaders in the Senate. They are backing a bill to renew the controversial NSA program through 2020 either unchanged or with minor amendments.
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