Senate blocks House bill on NSA surveillance, 2-month extension

The Republican-led Senate blocked a House-passed bill and several short-term extensions of the USA Patriot Act early Saturday.

The big stumbling block was a House-passed measure to end the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of domestic phone records. Instead, the records would remain with telephone companies subject to a case-by-case review.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell favored retaining the program, but fellow Kentuckian and Republican presidential contender Rand Paul blocked any extension no