Angered by revelations that the National Security Agency was spying on United States allies, including the e-mails of German Prime Minister Angela Merkel, congressional leaders are proposing new checks on the agency. Senator Dianne Feinstein, one of NSA’s staunch defenders, complained that as chair of the Senate intelligence committee she was not informed about NSA’s activities and called for a review of its programs. (MSNBC, October 28, 2013, by Adam Serwer)
Patriot Act authors, Senator Patrick Leahy (D. Vt.) and Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) are proposing bipartisan legislation to rein in NSA. The men said that under the legislation, NSA would still be able to gather information but in a “more focused way” and with more accountability. “Our bill also ensures that this program will not simply be restarted under other legal authorities, and includes new oversight, auditing and public reporting requirements. No longer will the government be able to employ a carte-blanche approach to records collection or enact secret laws by covertly reinterpreting congressional intent.”(Politico, October 28, 2013, by Senator Patrick Leahy and Representative Jim Sensenbrenner)