Donald Trump demanded the Save America voter ID bill be attached to the FISA Section 702 renewal, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated the Senate GOP would proceed without it, highlighting a rift between the President and Senate Republicans.
Despite the expiration of Title VII of FISA, Section 702 surveillance powers will continue under existing certifications until March 2027. Experts from the Brennan Center and Cato Institute state that claims of a "go dark" scenario are inaccurate, as the law was designed for such lapses. Meanwhile, other surveillance authorities like Executive Order 12333 remain unaffected.
The US House of Representatives failed to renew the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) before its Friday expiration, risking its first lapse. The failure is linked to protests over a controversial Trump ally's appointment to oversee intelligence agencies, despite the law being critical for national security.
Congress failed to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which expired Thursday night. The House rejected a short-term extension, with nearly 20 Republicans joining Democrats. Senator Ron Wyden also blocked extensions in the Senate. Concerns over President Trump's potential appointment of Bill Pulte as director of national intelligence, and his past insinuations against Fed board member Lisa Cook, have fueled opposition.
Section 702 of FISA, a crucial US spy tool used to collect foreign communications, has lapsed as Congress failed to agree on an extension. Political infighting, particularly over President Trump's nomination of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, derailed efforts for reauthorization, raising concerns about potential misuse of intelligence.
The US House rejected a proposal to extend a key foreign surveillance program (Section 702 of FISA) through July 2, causing it to expire Friday. Democrats withheld support due to President Trump's controversial appointment of Bill Pulte as acting DNI, citing his lack of national security experience and alleged political motivations.
The U.S. House rejected a short-term extension of a key foreign surveillance program (Section 702 of FISA), which is set to expire Friday. Democrats withheld support due to President Trump's controversial pick for acting DNI, Bill Pulte, citing his lack of national security experience and alleged political motivations. Nineteen Republicans also voted against the measure.
Congress failed to pass a three-week extension for FISA Section 702, a controversial surveillance program, leading to its lapse. Proponents warn of national security risks, while critics argue the "going dark" narrative is misleading and push for reforms like warrant requirements for US person data.
The U.S. House rejected a proposal to extend a key foreign surveillance program (Section 702 of FISA) through July 2, as Democrats withheld support due to President Trump's controversial pick for acting DNI, Bill Pulte. The program is set to expire Friday.
The US Congress faces a June 12 deadline to reauthorize Section 702 of the FISA, but negotiations are stalled. A 45-day extension was granted in April for reforms, but none have been made. A recent Senate vote (52-47) failed to pass a 3-year renewal due to Democratic opposition triggered by President Trump's appointment of Bill Pulte, a businessman without security clearance, as acting Director of National Intelligence. Critics fear Trump's history of abusing surveillance powers and his suggestion to 'gut' the ODNI, potentially firing staff from previous administrations, complicates the reauthorization, especially without reforms like warrant requirements for US person queries.
Congress has reauthorized Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for 45 days, until June 14, 2026, to allow time for reform negotiations. The House passed the bill 261-111 on Thursday after the Senate settled on a 45-day extension following debate between Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), who wanted three weeks, and Tom Cotton (R-AR), who cited the program's use in a recent US raid on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The legislation includes some reforms but does not include a warrant requirement for US person queries, drawing criticism from privacy advocates who call it 'empty-calories.'
The House voted 235-191 to extend Section 702 of FISA for three years, sending the surveillance measure to the Senate ahead of a Thursday deadline. Speaker Mike Johnson secured passage after weeks of negotiations with privacy-minded Republicans, with 42 Democrats supporting and 22 Republicans opposing. The measure includes a controversial CBDC ban that Senate Republicans oppose, threatening final passage. Privacy advocates failed to secure a warrant requirement for searching Americans' information in the FISA database, though limited reforms were added requiring attorney approval and written justification.
The House voted 235-191 to extend Section 702 of FISA for three years, sending the controversial surveillance program to the Senate ahead of a Thursday deadline. Speaker Mike Johnson overcame weeks of GOP resistance, with 42 Democrats supporting and 22 Republicans opposing. The bill includes limited reforms requiring attorney approval for American data searches, written justifications, and criminal penalties for misuse, but failed to include a warrant requirement sought by privacy advocates.
Speaker Mike Johnson has introduced a new bill to renew the FISA Section 702 surveillance program for three years. The proposal lacks a warrant requirement for searching Americans' data, drawing criticism from privacy advocates and skepticism from some Republican lawmakers.
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, allowing warrantless collection of overseas communications, expires April 30. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the Government Surveillance Reform Act to close backdoor search loopholes and prevent agencies from buying Americans' data from brokers. The Trump administration favors simple reauthorization without changes. Even if the law expires, surveillance could continue until March 2027 due to FISC certification.
Some lawmakers are calling for widespread reforms following years of surveillance scandals and abuses across successive U.S. administrations. But even if the spy law known as Section 702 expires in April, the government's spy powers will not automatically lapse.
Congress approved a short-term extension of Section 702 of FISA, allowing warrantless surveillance of foreign intelligence targets, after GOP hard-liners blocked longer proposals. President Trump signed the bill extending the program to April 30. The controversy centers on privacy concerns and calls for reforms to protect Americans, with supporters citing its role in thwarting threats including a planned terrorist attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Austria.
