Pressure Builds On Boehner For NSA Vote

House Republican leaders are under pressure to allow a vote on legislation that would curb the National Security Agency (NSA).

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has defended the NSA's spying programs, but a growing bloc of his conference is signing on to a bill that would end the NSA's practice of collecting records on virtually all U.S. phone calls, which was revealed in leaks by Edward Snowden.

One House Democratic aide argued that the Republican leaders are boxed in. If they don't allow a vote on standalone NSA reform legislation, the aide said, members will demand NSA-related amendments to must-pass legislation like the defense and intelligence authorization bills.

"They're stuck. They would deal with this in the way they deal with a lot of things — by just not moving the legislation," the Democratic aide said. "Except how are they going to get other important pieces of legislation that they want to move unless they move this first?"

A GOP leadership aide acknowledged that there is "significant member interest in this issue as well as multiple committees with jurisdiction."

MORE...

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/191536-boehner-under-pressure-on-nsa-reforms