The US Senate Intelligence Committee has passed a bill that would allow the National Security Agency and other departments to keep receiving funding amid an international uproar over revelations about US spying activities.
During a closed-door session on Tuesday, the committee voted 13-2 for the bill which would also include new funding for technology to counter “insider threats” like leaks of classified information.
�œWe recognize that budget reductions and sequestration are impacting our intelligence agencies, and Congress has a responsibility to ensure the [director of national intelligence] and other intelligence leaders have the resources and flexibility they need to protect the nation,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California), the chairwoman of the committee.
The passage of the bill comes as documents after documents disclosed by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden since June have shed some light on the scope and scale of Washington�™s spying activities across the globe.
Some of the documents showed the US spy agency collects Americans�™ phone records and tracks the use of US-based Internet servers by all people around the world.
Other documents showed the US has hacked into the computer systems of other countries�™ diplomatic missions and has even been eavesdropping on phone calls of at least 35 world leaders including that of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, one of Europe�™s most influential leaders.
Documents leaked by Snowden also showed that the �œblack budget” for Washington�™s spying operations in 2013 was $52.6 billion. The �œblack budget” included $10.8 billion for the NSA alone.
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Source: Press TV