Congress Punts FISA Reauthorization Another Six Weeks

Congress on Thursday temporarily extended a spying tool granting the U.S. government the ability to monitor its citizens’ communications before it expires at midnight.

The legislation delays a decision on the long-term reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) until June 12, approximately six weeks after publication. The House voted 261-111 in favor of the extension late in the afternoon, with 166 Republicans voting for and 26 against. Among Democrats, 94 voted yes and 85 voted no. The Senate voted to pass the measure by voice vote on Thursday before the House passed it, Politico reported. The move comes after President Donald Trump called on April 15 for a “clean expansion” of Section 702. (RELATED: Republicans Are Ready to Allow Continued Unfettered Government Spying on U.S. Citizens)

Under Section 702, the government can collect and search the data of U.S. citizens without a warrant if they have had contact with noncitizens across U.S. borders that the government was targeting. It helps track foreign intelligence, cyber and terrorist activity dangers, which has led to US data collection as a byproduct.

FISA Section 702: Congress Passes Extension of Short-Term Surveillance Program Just Before Deadline https://t.co/9vSYAen3zk

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The FBI made more than 200,000 requests for information on U.S. citizens under this program in 2022, according to a 2023 report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Trump had previously opposed the FISA program for years, calling on lawmakers to “KILL FISA” while accusing the government of spying on his campaign in a 2024 article in Truth Social. The president argued that expanding the program was vital to the effectiveness of the U.S. military at the positions held in March and April, citing the war with Iran in the former case.

The temporary extension comes after the House approved a bill Wednesday containing a three-year extension but including a digital currency measure, a move Senate Majority Leader John Thune called “dead on arrival,” according to Politico. He and House Speaker Mike Johnson held closed-door discussions Wednesday about a short-term extension, the Senate Republican leader said Thursday. The Senate has crafted a three-year extension bill with some similarities to what the House passed, the outlet reported.