AlHijjah 27, 1434, Nov 1, 2013, SPA -- The Senate intelligence committee voted Thursday to officially affirm the National Security Agency's ability to collect records of Americans' telephone calls, but imposes new restrictions on federal authorities who want to sift through the data. The 11-4 vote marks the first time any part of Congress has officially approved the bulk records collection program. Under the bill, written by panel chairman Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the NSA can continue collecting and snooping much as it has, though it would now have the imprimatur of congressional approval. The agency would have to report regularly to Congress about the number of targets under its phone-records program, and whether that snooping produces any investigative leads.
