With that being said, I have personally directed the fix to the unmasking process since taking office and today’s vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land. We need it! Get smart!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018
Reuters: House passes NSA spying bill after Trump tweets cause confusion
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill to renew the National Security Agency’s warrantless internet surveillance program, overcoming objections from privacy advocates and confusion prompted by morning tweets from President Donald Trump that initially questioned the spying tool.
The legislation, which passed 256-164 and split party lines, is the culmination of a yearslong debate in Congress on the proper scope of U.S. intelligence collection - one fueled by the 2013 disclosures of classified surveillance secrets by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
Senior Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives had urged cancellation of the vote after Trump appeared to cast doubt on the merits of the program, but Republicans forged ahead.
Trump initially said on Twitter that the surveillance program, first created in secret after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and later legally authorized by Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, had been used against him but later said it was needed.
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WNU Editor: The media is saying that his morning tweets on FISA caused confusion (see his tweets above). I disagree. His tweets are very clear. He is voicing his belief that the law was used to spy on him, but for reasons of national security he will still support the bill.
More News On The U.S. Congress Renewing The National Security Agency’s Warrantless Internet Surveillance Program
House Votes to Renew Surveillance Law, Rejecting New Privacy Protections -- New York Times
House passes legislation to renew key NSA surveillance program after Trump's contradictory tweets -- Washington Post
Trump FISA tweet puts Capitol Hill in a tizzy -- The Hill
Trump bucked his own White House on a controversial surveillance law after watching Fox News -- Business Insider
House passes FISA reauthorization despite Trump tweet criticizing the program -- CNN
Trump slams FISA reauthorization on Twitter, then reverses himself -- CBS News
House passes FISA extension bill despite privacy concerns and mixed messages from White House -- Los Angeles Times
Trump tweet throws today's House surveillance votes into chaos [Updated] -- Ars Technica
What is FISA? Here are 4 things to know about the controversial spy law -- Fast Company