House Renews FISA Surveillance Tool After GOP Revolt

TL/DR –

The House voted in favor of renewing a surveillance program known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Initially blocked by a group of 19 conservative privacy advocates, the bill moved forward after an agreement to cut the reauthorization period from five years to two years. The legislation, which received bipartisan support, will now head to the Senate for approval.

House Votes to Renew Surveillance Program Amid Conservative Revolt

The House voted 273-147 to renew a powerful surveillance program known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) on Friday. The bipartisan vote came after a band of 19 privacy-focused conservative lawmakers revolted against their Republican leadership, demanding the legislation’s reconsideration.

The conservative rebels agreed to let the bill proceed after securing a deal with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. The reauthorization period for the spy powers was shortened to two years from the originally proposed five years in the deal.

Republicans expressed that this revision would allow a chance for former President Donald Trump, who has publicly criticized FISA, to influence the law if he returns to the White House. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., a top Trump ally, commented that President Trump now gets a chance to rectify a system he was victimized by.

Ahead of the vote, a secure room was set up for lawmakers to review classified documents. The conservatives also ensured a floor vote for an amendment requiring law enforcement to obtain warrants for surveilling U.S. citizens and permanent residents collected through foreign surveillance.

The bill is expected to be taken up in the Senate next week ahead of an April 19 deadline to renew or end FISA Section 702. Some Republicans are blocking transmission to the Senate as they try to force another vote on the entire bill.

Hours after the vote, House Speaker Johnson is scheduled to meet with Trump at his Florida-based Mar-a-Lago resort to discuss “election integrity” and potentially FISA.

Bipartisan Privacy Rights Amendment Falls Short

Before passing the bill, the House voted 212-212 on an amendment aiming to limit warrantless surveillance of U.S. persons. The tie vote meant the amendment failed. The White House lobbied against the amendment, with top officials encouraging lawmakers to vote against it, citing national security concerns.

Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., disputed the intelligence community’s argument for the necessity of the current law, calling for a balance between security and civil liberties. She urged Congress to end the “back door search loophole” that impedes Americans’ privacy.

However, Mike Turner, R-Ohio, chair of the Intelligence Committee, sided with the White House, arguing that the amendment would enable foreign entities like the Communist Party in China, Hezbollah, and Hamas to operate freely in the U.S. due to the warrant requirement for accessing their communications.

—
Read More US News