the u. s. government's ability to collect american citizens phone records expired sunday night in a rare late night session the senate failed to renew parts of the u. s. a. patriot act , republican senator and presidential candidate rand paul blocking an extension of the program which he calls unconstitutional this is a debate over your right to be left alone programs termination for now coming two years after it was first revealed by former n. s. a. contractor edward snowden , the senate did manage to advance a bill that would reform the program , so called the u. s. a. freedom act would require government agencies to obtain a warrant to look at phone records held by telecommunications for , president barack obama and most congressional democrats strongly back the reforms the republicans are deeply divided about the surveillance program , senator john mccain of arizona telling reporters that rand paul has quote a higher priority for his fundraising and politically , and for security of , paul responded that his critics wanted to see a terror attack on the united states quote so they can blame it on me , the senate is set to take a debate on the reforms tuesday at the earliest