GOP FISA Deal Faces First Hurdle In The House
The GOP-led Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) deal faces its first hurdle in the House Rules Committee.
As the House Rules Committee takes on FISA, several Republican hardliners have proposed amendments to further reform the espionage powers law.
Among them is an amendment from Republican Reps. Michael Cloud of Texas, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Barry Moore of Alabama that would block the issuance of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), reflecting lawmakers’ concerns about government overreach, financial oversight and the potential displacement of the traditional banking industry.
I’ve proposed anti-CBDC amendments over a dozen times, but the surveillance state still craves more power and won’t give an inch. https://t.co/TVEGuFNU7f
– Rep. Michael Cloud (@RepMichaelCloud) April 27, 2026
Asked earlier Monday about the CBDC provision, Moore wrote to the Daily Caller that the effort was intended to prevent what he described as a broader expansion of federal control over the financial system, adding that implementing such a framework now would amount to a retroactive step. (RELATED: Why isn’t the GOP using FISA as leverage for the SAVE America Act?)
“President Trump has made it clear that he must put Americans first and prevent Washington from expanding its reach into our daily lives. A central bank digital currency would take us in the opposite direction by creating the potential for unprecedented government interference. This type of power does not belong in the hands of bureaucrats. We should take steps to block or strictly restrict any CBDC framework to ensure that individual liberty is preserved and that government overreach in Americans’ economic freedom is stopped before they don’t start.
The amendment from Arizona Republican Reps. Eli Crane and Biggs would require a warrant for government officials to query FISA Section 702 data regarding the content of communications or other information of U.S. persons.
It would prohibit warrantless “covered queries,” meaning searches using identifiers of U.S. persons or searches likely to return data on U.S. persons, unless one of a few narrow exceptions applies, including cases where the individual is already subject to a FISA or criminal warrant, there is an imminent threat of death or serious harm, the search is conducted with consent on a case-by-case basis, or it is limited to defensive cybersecurity purposes in using known threat signatures.
The amendment would add new reporting requirements, impose limits on the use of emergency search results, and prevent the use of metadata alone to justify access to full-content communications.
It is more than possible to reauthorize FISA 702 – to protect Americans from foreign adversaries – while respecting the letter and spirit of the Fourth Amendment.
My bipartisan bill, the SAFE Act, would do just that
Our privacy is not at odds with our security; it’s part of our security https://t.co/wIvzAvZNG1 pic.twitter.com/6OEddNykXW
-Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) April 27, 2026
North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Harris also proposed two amendments to FISA reauthorization for consideration by the Rules Committee. (RELATED: Trump Admin Reaches Deal With Carter Page Over FISA Spying)
The first would be to shorten the reauthorization period to maintain pressure on Congress to negotiate more stringent reforms rather than approving a long-term extension without additional safeguards.
“My first amendment would shorten the extension so that Congress can keep these authorities from slipping into obscurity while continuing to negotiate real reforms. A three-year extension is far too long without stronger safeguards, especially when a mandate requirement is unresolved,” Harris wrote to the Caller on Monday.
The second amendment would narrow the expanded powers by repealing the broad definition of “electronic communications service provider” included in the Intelligence Reform and Securing America Act of 2024 — a change that critics say allows forced access to data held by nontraditional providers such as private data centers, cloud infrastructure and corporate IT systems.
Together, these proposals aim to address concerns about the expanded scope of warrantless surveillance under Section 702, strengthen data protections for U.S. persons, and ensure better ongoing congressional oversight while preserving critical national security tools.
Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie proposed a series of amendments to the FISA framework aimed at strengthening surveillance authorities and expanding protections for American persons. One amendment would require a warrant before federal agents can access communications of U.S. persons obtained under Section 702, while also imposing stricter limits, transparency requirements and congressional oversight for any surveillance activity.
Massie also proposed banning “reverse targeting” under Section 702, in an effort to close what he describes as a loophole that allows the government to indirectly surveil Americans by targeting foreign individuals. Another amendment, similar to Harris’, would repeal the 2024 expansion of FISA’s definition of “electronic communications service providers.” (RELATED: Trump Hated the Deep State Spying Powers Used Against Him. Then He Started a War)
Rep. Thomas Massie says the FBI and intelligence agencies operate using their own secret laws that Americans are not allowed to know about
The FBI uses interpretations of the law that are so secret that no one is allowed to talk about them.
This is used as a secret… pic.twitter.com/FZ129D8REl
– Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) April 26, 2026
Several Republican lawmakers have expressed broader concerns about the reforms, with a recurring focus on adding stricter warrant requirements to ensure authorities are not used to indirectly surveil Americans.
Asked what additional reforms or provisions he would like to see included as the bill moves through committee, Moore again highlighted Trump and his efforts to ensure FISA reforms are implemented across intelligence agencies, while also emphasizing the importance of warrant requirements and stricter safeguards.
“These reforms are an important step in ensuring that Section 702 of FISA works as intended, targeting foreign threats and not creating a backdoor for warrantless surveillance of Americans,” Moore wrote to the caller. “If the government wants access to Americans’ communications, it should be required to obtain a warrant. This is a common-sense constitutional protection, and it ensures that these powerful tools are used for their intended purposes, and not turned against the very citizens they are intended to protect.”
The caller reached out to Biggs for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
