The Senate Judiciary Committee, meanwhile, has approved a measure that would leave the controversial surveillance powers of the USA PATRIOT Act mostly intact. Thursday’s vote came after panel members rejected amendments to curb the use of National Security Letters and allow the expiration of the unused “lone wolf” provision that targets individuals with no alleged links to terrorist groups. In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union criticized the vote but welcomed approval of two amendments: one ordering the government to discard illegally obtained information and another forcing law enforcement agencies to notify suspects targeted by “sneak and peak” searches within seven days instead of the current rule of thirty.