Congress Temporarily Extends Spying Tool Amid Division

On Thursday, Congress granted a temporary extension to a surveillance tool that allows the U.S. government to monitor the communications of its citizens, ensuring it doesn’t lapse at midnight.

The decision to postpone a long-term reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is now set for June 12, roughly six weeks later than the initial discussion. By late afternoon, the House of Representatives voted 261-111 in favor of the extension, with 166 Republicans supporting it and 26 against. Among Democrats, 94 were in favor while 85 opposed.

Prior to this, the Senate had swiftly moved to block the bill with a voice vote before the House had a chance to act, according to reports. This development followed President Trump’s call for a “full extension” of Section 702 on April 15.

Section 702 allows the government to gather data on U.S. citizens without a warrant if those individuals have interacted with noncitizens entering the country. While designed to help identify threats from foreign intelligence, cyber activities, and terrorism, it has also inadvertently led to the tracking of Americans’ data.

A report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence revealed that the FBI carried out over 200,000 inquiries regarding U.S. citizens under this program in 2022. Trump has been critical of the FISA program for years, notably claiming it was used to spy on his campaign and urging for its termination. He emphasized that extending the program is vital for U.S. military operations.

The recent extension follows the House’s passage of a bill that includes measures related to digital currency, which Senate Majority Leader John Thune deemed “dead on arrival.” Furthermore, reports indicate that he and House Speaker Mike Johnson had a brief closed-door meeting on Wednesday. The Senate is currently crafting a three-year extension bill, which shares some aspects with the House’s legislation.