The United States Senate has decided to curtail the National Security Agency's collection of millions of Americans' phone records and other data, after the Senate failed to pass the pertinent legislation that extends the duration of the data collection program.
Despite the fact that the Senate has failed to act in time to prevent several key aspects of the Patriot Act from expiring, the result of the vote was a small, partial victory for Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama.
The president has pushed for a reform of the collection program, which will serve as a compromise that addresses the privacy concerns while maintaining a viable tool that helps protect the country from attack, according to Reuters.
The NSA has begun shutting down the bulk-data collection program since Sunday afternoon. The program is then set to be dormant until such time that President Barack Obama signs a new legislation authorizing it, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has voiced his disappointment in the Senate's decision. The Senate has voted 77-17 to take up the House bill.
Visibly frustrated on the Senate floor, the senator has stated that allowing the surveillance program to expire "would mean disarming completely and arbitrarily," according to The Wall Street Journal.
"It's a totally unacceptable outcome. We won't be doing that," he said.
However, he does accept the decision of the Senate, stating that the House bill is "not ideal," but that "it's the only realistic way forward."
The Patriot Act was one of the U.S.' moves to curb the movements of individuals operating within the country that were suspected of terrorism, allowing the NSA to perform "roving wiretaps" that were aimed at terrorism suspects, among many operations, according to Reuters.
The House bill, known as the USA Freedom Act, is set to replace the Patriot Act. Obama has strongly backed the Freedom Act, together with a large number of Democrats.
The House of Representatives passed the proposition on May 13 with an overwhelming vote of 338-88.
