The vote was 232 to 191.
"Congress has provided a way for our intelligence programs to legally monitor and track terrorist phone calls and communications so we can prevent further terrorist attacks," House Speaker Dennis Hastert said after the vote.
"Allowing American intelligence officials to intercept phone calls made by Al-Qaeda operatives overseas to their cohorts in the United States provides valuable information about potential terror plots and terrorist cell operations in the global war on terror," House Majority leader John Boehner said.
Until early this year, the secret eavesdropping ordered by the administration of President George W Bush earned widespread public scorn for infringing on the rights of ordinary Americans.
However, Mr Bush argued that, as president, he had the power under the US Constitution to approve eavesdropping without a court warrant.