President Barack Obama is meeting with lawmakers to discuss surveillance programs run by the National Security Agency.

The private Oval Office meeting is to discuss concerns about privacy.

Obama’s national security team is trying to keep its surveillance powers intact while acknowledging some limitations appear inevitable. The White House says Obama wants to hear from Congress directly, including from critics.

The bipartisan meeting comes after Russian authorities granted temporary asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

The chairmen and ranking minority members of the House and Senate intelligence committees were also attending. They issued a joint statement saying they’ve reviewed the programs in question and believe they are legal and contribute substantially to counterterrorism. They say their committees are developing ideas to reassure Americans and improve transparency and privacy protections.

(AP)