All investigations underway right now that use any of the other expired provisions also will be allowed to continue, current and former officials have said in recent weeks. So, there’s no risk that government monitors will “go dark” on any terrorists or spies they’ve already started tracking.
Some lawmakers continued to warn that even a short interruption in some surveillance authorities posed a risk to national security.
Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said the expiring provisions could mean the United States is unable to collect particular kinds of intelligence. But when asked whether the grandfather clause in the Patriot Act didn’t provide some assurances that investigations wouldn’t be derailed, Corker acknowledged, “You may be grandfathered in if the case is underway.”
Corker said he thought there was some “fuzziness” in the bill, then added, “I don’t want to overstate the problems that exist.”
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