(VOVworld) - The US House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday approved a bill banning the bulk collection of telephone data by the National Security Agency (NSA).

The bill’s architect, Republican James Sensenbrenner

The bill is a joint effort by Republicans and Democrats to stop a practice that is harming US diplomacy. The USA Freedom Act prevents the NSA from collecting phone data in bulk and requires the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) to grant approval only when it receives clear explanations of a case that needs monitoring.

The House Judiciary Committee urged the House of Representatives and the Senate to quickly pass the bill to restore public trust in the way intelligence agencies collect data and protect the privacy rights of US residents.