In a show of support, the Obama Administration issued a statement [PDF] to lawmakers on Tuesday saying it “applauds and appreciates” bipartisan efforts that led to the creation of the USA Freedom Act.
The bill, which aims to end the National Security Agency's (NSA) bulk collection of Americans' phone records, passed the House Judiciary Committee late last month with a 25-2 vote. The White House's Tuesday “statement of administrative policy” said that the proposed Act “strikes an appropriate balance between significant reform and preservation of important national security tools," but that Congress must act quickly to move the bill forward, since “critical authorities that [the] legislation would reform could expire June 1,” including Section 215 of the Patriot Act.
“The Administration supports swift House passage of the USA Freedom Act, and urges the Senate to follow suit," the statement said.
