House Rejects Spy Program; Pressure Now on Senate

The National Security Agency's ability to collect Americans' phone records could soon come to an end after the House overwhelmingly passed the USA Freedom Act Wednesday.

The bill would replace bulk collection with a system to search the data held by telephone companies on a case-by-case basis.

Now the Senate is under considerable pressure to pass the measure as well.

If it doesn't act by June 1, lawmakers risk the expiration of the authority to collect phone records, along with other important counterterrorism provisions.

One provision is a measure allowing so-called roving wiretaps, which the FBI uses for criminals who frequently switch cell phones.

And a third provision that would expire makes it easier to obtain a warrant to target a "lone wolf" terror suspect who has no provable links to a terrorist organization.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has expressed his opposition to the current House bill.

He has said he will put a bill on the floor to reauthorize all three original provisions without changes.

But Wednesday's vote suggests the House won't pass such a bill, said Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.