US House could vote again on surveillance bill, Republican lawmaker says

The US House of Representatives could vote again this week on controversial surveillance legislation, a Republican congressman said, after an initial attempt failed in the Republican-controlled chamber.

A modest overhaul of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, foundered in the House on Wednesday after Democratic and Republican critics, including former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, said it gave the government too much power to spy on American citizens.

At issue are elements of FISA that allow law enforcement to scan vast mountains of data scooped up by US intelligence agencies without first getting approval from a judge.

Congressman French Hill, a Republican who sits on the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees, said the House could vote on the legislation again on Friday, possibly with modifications.

Several House Republicans said the chamber might vote to extend the surveillance authority by two years, rather than five, as the legislation that failed on Wednesday would have done.

Republican Representative Eric Burlison told Reuters that a two-year bill would give Trump a chance to address FISA as president if he wins the White House in November.

"Let's give the next person that's elected president a chance to weigh in," Burlison said.

Reuters