The White House has denounced the US Senate for “irresponsible” failure to reach an agreement on extending the controversial Patriot Act used by the National Security Agency (NSA) as a legal basis for spying on people.

"We call on the Senate to ensure this irresponsible lapse in authorities is as short-lived as possible," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement on Sunday.

Controversial provisions of the Patriot Act expires at midnight Sunday (0400 GMT Monday).

The Senate convened a rare session on Sunday in a last-ditch attempt to extend key provisions of the Patriot Act, but it failed to move ahead once Republican Senator Rand Paul single-handedly stopped a Senate vote that could have prevented expiration of the program.

The White House urged the lawmakers to put aside partisanship and swiftly rectify the problem.

"On a matter as critical as our national security, individual Senators must put aside their partisan motivations and act swiftly. The American people deserve nothing less," Earnert said.

The law, which is backed by President Barack Obama, allows the NSA to collect any telephone and business records relevant to a counterterrorism investigation.

The existence of the spying program was revealed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden back in 2013, prompting calls for reform.

The data collected includes phone numbers and duration of a call without its content or personally identifying information.

SB/AGB