Interfax: “Refusal of U.S. Senate to restrict NSA powers marks decline of democracy – Pushkov”

Alexei Pushkov file photo

MOSCOW. Nov 19 (Interfax) – Head of the State Duma International Affairs Committee is disappointed that the U.S. Senate decided against considering legislation restricting the powers of the National Security Agency (NSA).

“The U.S. Senate turned down the bill limiting the spying activeness of NSA. In this way liberties are sacrificed to total control. The decline of democracy,” he twitted on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday The New York Times reported that relevant legislation was not taken up for consideration with 58 out of 100 Senators voting for it while consideration required 60 votes.

The decision was made despite support for the initiative from the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama and major corporations such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo.

NSA activities came under strong criticism after the exposures by Edward Snowden.

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