The U.S. House of Representatives must protect Americans’ online search and browsing history from warrantless government spying.

The U.S. Senate just passed the USA Freedom Reauthorization Act, which would renew expired government surveillance powers. The legislation must now go back to the House for consideration.

While the Senate overwhelmingly supported an amendment led by Sens. Ron Wyden and Steve Daines to the legislation that would prevent the government from spying on people’s online search and browsing histories without probable cause, the amendment fell just one vote short of the needed 60-vote threshold. At least two senators who missed the vote had indicated they would have supported the amendment.

That all senators did not show up to vote is not good reason for a failure to protect Americans’ privacy rights. House leadership must move to pass the Senate-passed surveillance reauthorization bill with the inclusion of the Wyden-Daines amendment.

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