U.S. House to take up bill to reauthorize crucial spy program [Video]

WASHINGTON — The House is set to consider a bill next week that would reauthorize a surveillance program that U.S. officials consider vital to national security but that critics say raises privacy concerns.

The action comes shortly before the program known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act expires on April 19. It was up for reauthorization last year but was instead granted a short-term extension as part of a massive defense policy bill that passed the House in December.

Though the prospect for passage is uncertain because of scrambled political alliances and deep resistance from civil liberties advocates, senior administration officials said in a call with reporters on Friday that they believed the bill preserved the most critical aspects of the spy program while also including guardrails that don’t …