House Republicans to McConnell: Pass Our NSA Bill or Programs ‘Go Dark’

Photo Credit: AP House and Senate Republicans were locked in an escalating standoff Friday over legislation reining in the National Security Agency, with lawmakers warning surveillance programs could “go dark” in a matter of days if they don’t reach an agreement . . .

With Patriot Act authorization for NSA data collection set to expire on June 1, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing a two-month extension to keep the programs running. But the House already has passed a separate bill, called the USA Freedom Act, that would end the NSA’s bulk collection of domestic phone metadata, while replacing it with case-by-case searches, and extend two other expiring surveillance provisions used by the FBI.

The House has since left town for the holiday break, and House lawmakers are putting heavy pressure on the Senate to just accept their bill — or else.

“The NSA programs will lapse if the Senate doesn’t take our bill,” a senior House GOP source told Fox News . . .

House lawmakers have leverage because if the Senate goes with McConnell’s two-month extension, and not the House-passed version, sources say the House would not come back in session to deal with it before June 1. That would leave an unfinished bill hanging on Capitol Hill over the holiday. (Read more from “House Republicans to McConnell: Pass Our NSA Bill or Programs ‘Go Dark'” HERE)

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