The program is set to expire on April 19 unless Congress acts, and it’s uncertain the Senate will approve a reauthorization even with the changes made in the House.
WASHINGTON — The House voted Friday to reauthorize and reform a key U.S. government surveillance tool following a dramatic showdown on the floor over whether the FBI should be restricted from using the program to search for Americans’ data.
The bill was approved on a bipartisan basis, 273-147, though it will have to clear the Senate to become law. The surveillance program is set to expire April 19 unless Congress acts.
Passage of the bill represented a much-needed victory for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who has been wrangling with conservative critics of the legislation for months. A group of 19 Republicans revolted to block the bill from coming to the floor earlier in the week, forcing Johnson to make late changes …