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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
�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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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