[Alberta's Child]

The NSA would not need a warrant to record phone calls outside the country, even if the calls involved one participant inside the U.S.

The more disturbing aspect of this is that members of Congress were apparently "conducting business" with a foreign government this way in the first place. If the NSA could record these conversations, then there are at least several dozen other countries whose intelligence services could have done the same thing.

[Mariner]

"The NSA would not need a warrant to record phone calls outside the country, even if the calls involved one participant inside the U.S. "

Correct, under the Patriot Act.

However, it is forbidden to obtain that info for any reason besides National Security.

And, I'm pretty sure Congress believes the executive cannot use it for any other purpose.