Electronic surveillance

Feds want foreign surveillance authority renewed

Intelligence and law enforcement officials across the government lobbied Congress Monday to let them conduct broad surveillance on foreign targets in coming years, saying it helps prevent terrorist and cyberattacks on the United States. They said current rules adequately safeguard the privacy of Americans.

More than 10 senior officials with the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI, Justice Department and national intelligence director’s office made their case to news reporters for why Congress should reauthorize a highly contentious section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

They said the authority to target the communications of foreigners located outside the United States yields intelligence on terrorist plots, weapons proliferation, malicious cyber operations and other threats to U.S. national security. The officials said 106,469 foreigners abroad currently are being targeted — up from about 89,000 in 2013. The authority expires at the end of the year and lawmakers are weighing reauthorization.