US Senate renews government surveillance measure

December 29, 2012 by legitgov

US Senate renews government surveillance measure --NSA whistleblower Bill Binney has estimated that the agency, under protection of the law, has 'assembled' 20 trillion transactions between US citizens. 28 Dec 2012 Civil rights campaigners voiced dismay on Friday over the US Senate's re-authorization of the government's warrantless surveillance program, and the defeat of two amendments that would have provided for basic oversight of the eavesdropping. The Senate voted 73-23 to extend the law, called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Act, for five years. The House of Representatives has already passed the measure, which President Obama has said he will sign. [Thanks, Obusha!]