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US Senate in urgent surveillance debate as deadline looms US Senate in urgent surveillance debate as deadline looms
(about 2 hours later)
The US Senate is meeting in a rare weekend sitting to try to avert the expiry of key anti-terrorist laws that allow phone data to be collected by the security services. The US Senate is meeting in a rare weekend sitting to try to avert the expiry of anti-terrorist laws that let security services collect phone data.
Senators failed several times to pass a revised plan and to extend key provisions of the USA Patriot Act, which lapse at midnight (04:00 GMT). Senators have failed to extend key provisions of the law, known as the Patriot Act, which are set to expire at midnight local time (04:00 GMT).
The new measures have already been backed by the House of Representatives and the White House. Senators are still debating the USA Freedom Act, a replacement bill that would water down bulk data collection.
Sixty votes are needed in the Senate. Barack Obama has warned that the US will be at risk if the laws expire.
If a deal is not reached by midnight, security services will lose the ability, in addition to bulk phone data collection, to monitor "lone wolf" terror suspects and to carry out "roving wiretaps" of suspects, under the provisions of the Patriot Act.
The Senate has voted by a large margin (77-17) to debate the Freedom Act, which would extend some of the surveillance powers, but oblige phone companies to retain data and impose greater controls on how that data could be accessed.
However, the Republican Senator Rand Paul has said he will delay the vote for several days. This mean it could take until Wednesday for the bill to be voted on - leaving a brief gap in the security services' surveillance powers.
Ever since National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the phone records of tens of millions of Americans were being collected en masse by the NSA, the pressure to revise the programme has been intense, BBC Washington correspondent Gary O'Donoghue says.Ever since National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the phone records of tens of millions of Americans were being collected en masse by the NSA, the pressure to revise the programme has been intense, BBC Washington correspondent Gary O'Donoghue says.
A court has already ruled the practice illegal and the House has passed a new Freedom Act which would oblige phone companies to retain data and impose greater controls on how that data could be accessed. A court has already ruled the practice illegal and the Freedom Act has already been backed by the House of Representatives and the White House.
But problem is that 60 of the 100 votes are needed in the Senate to move forward and there is no clear majority for either an extension to current rules or the new bill that has come from the House, our correspondent says.
Libertarians in the Senate want to scrap the programme altogether, while conservatives say it should be kept as it is.
US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has warned that allowing the laws to expire would mean the security services losing an important capability to track US associates of foreign terrorists.US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has warned that allowing the laws to expire would mean the security services losing an important capability to track US associates of foreign terrorists.
Americans have become used to this kind of political gridlock over budget measures but less so over provision affection national security, says the BBC's Tom Bateman.
Obama warningObama warning
The Senate began its session in Washington at 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT), just hours before the deadline. On 23 May, lawmakers failed to back the extension in a 57-42 vote. The Senate began its session in Washington at 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT), just hours before the deadline.
Ahead of Sunday's meeting, Republican Senator Rand Paul, who is running for president, said he would block the move.Ahead of Sunday's meeting, Republican Senator Rand Paul, who is running for president, said he would block the move.
"I will force the expiration of the NSA illegal programme. Sometimes when the problem is big enough, you just have to start over," he said."I will force the expiration of the NSA illegal programme. Sometimes when the problem is big enough, you just have to start over," he said.
In his weekly address on Sunday, President Barack Obama again warned that failure to act by the Senate could put Americans at risk.In his weekly address on Sunday, President Barack Obama again warned that failure to act by the Senate could put Americans at risk.
"We shouldn't surrender the tools that help keep us safe," he said."We shouldn't surrender the tools that help keep us safe," he said.
Bulk data collection rulingsBulk data collection rulings
US spy leaks: How intelligence is gatheredUS spy leaks: How intelligence is gathered