House lawmakers have reached a bipartisan accord on an extension of three provisions in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
The provisions will sunset unless Congress acts this week, with talks having stalled over efforts to impose reforms aimed at protecting civil liberties and addressing abuse of the law. Federal law enforcement consider the measure a vital tool to prevent terrorism and espionage, but it has faced increasing opposition from the public and in Congress.
The House could vote on the measure as early as Wednesday, which would give the Senate time to take it up on Thursday. The House Rules Committee posted the bill text on Tuesday.
Senate lawmakers were not part of the negotiations, however, and there is no guarantee it will clear Congress by the end of the week.
Both chambers are scheduled to be out of session next week.
President Trump told Republicans last week he won’t sign a bill to extend the measure unless there are changes. Trump believes the law was abused by the FBI to spy on his 2016 campaign and improperly launch a two-year inquiry into allegations he colluded with the Russians to win the White House.
Democrats are seeking changes to protect civil liberties and prevent abuse of the surveillance measures, which have grown increasingly unpopular over the past decade.
Reforms to the FISA program will include ending the Call Detail Records Program, which permits the government to seek call metadata from the telecommunications companies and new provisions to enable better oversight of the secretive program.
Attorney General William Barr said he plans to institute reforms to the program to address abuses outlined in a December report produced by Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who found “17 significant errors or omissions” by law enforcement seeking to spy on onetime Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
