The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) reauthorized the...

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) reauthorized the government’s telephony metadata collection program, said a joint statement Friday from the Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The authorization had been set to expire Friday. Congress has attempted to move forward with bills to curb or eliminate the surveillance program -- authorized under Section 215 of the Patriot Act -- but a House-passed bill (HR-3361) is stalled in the Senate (CD May 23 p9). “Given that legislation has not yet been enacted, and given the importance of maintaining the capabilities of the Section 215 telephony metadata program, the government has sought a 90-day reauthorization of the existing program,” the two agencies said. The program’s authorization now expires Dec. 5.