Week ahead: Patriot Act almost out of time

The Senate is up against the clock this Sunday as lawmakers race to prevent key Patriot Act provisions from expiring on June 1.

Senators return for a rare Sunday session, and it is unclear how they will resolve the impasse.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) opposes the House-passed USA Freedom Act, which would end the National Security Agency’s warrantless bulk collection of U.S. phone records. McConnell wants a clean extension of the Patriot Act as it stands now, but he may not have the votes.

{mosads}With only hours before the provisions expire — something that many warn would hinder intelligence gathering and law enforcement — senators, advocates (and reporters) might be in for a long night.

Lawmakers reconvene at 4 p.m., and roll call votes could start as early as 6 p.m. A spokesman for the minority whip had a message in his update on the timing of votes: “Pack snacks.”

Many tech-affiliated groups are urging passage of the USA Freedom Act.

“The bill, which overwhelmingly passed the House, is the best option for protecting national security and preserving civil liberties,” said the tech-firm group Reform Government Surveillance, which includes Google, Apple and Facebook. 

“The Senate should avoid adding any provisions that weaken the prohibition of bulk collection of Internet metadata, mandate data retention, or otherwise introduce new concepts or definitions that weaken consumers’ trust in the Internet.”

Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, the Senate Commerce subcommittee on communications will hold a hearing Tuesday on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) efforts to reform the Lifeline program, which provides discount phone service to low-income people.

Senators will hold the hearing less than a week after FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced the program would be expanded to provide broadband subsidies as well.

On Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will consider the FCC Process Reform Act, which passed through the communications subcommittee earlier this month.

AT&T and DirecTV will also be waiting for news on their proposed merger. The companies are pushing back on proposed restrictions on the transaction, and regulators are reportedly wrapping up their review.

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