Current:Home > FinanceHouse blocks bill to renew FISA spy program after conservative revolt -FundPrime
House blocks bill to renew FISA spy program after conservative revolt
View
Date:2025-04-12 17:25:46
Washington — A bill that would reauthorize a crucial national security surveillance program was blocked Wednesday by a conservative revolt in the House, pushing the prospects of final passage into uncertainty amid a looming deadline. The legislative impasse also follows an edict earlier in the day from former President Donald Trump to "kill" the measure.
The legislative breakdown comes months after a similar process to reform and reauthorize the surveillance program fell apart before it even reached the House floor. Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican of Louisiana, has called the program "critically important" but has struggled to find a path forward on the issue, which has been plagued by partisan bickering for years. The procedural vote to bring up the bill failed 193-228. Nineteen Republicans voted no.
The bill under consideration would renew the surveillance program with a series of reforms meant to satisfy critics who complained of civil liberties violations against Americans. But Republican critics complained that those changes did not go far enough, calling into doubt whether the bill backed by the Biden administration and Johnson would have enough votes to advance.
At issue is Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which permits the U.S. government to collect without a warrant the communications of non-Americans located outside the country to gather foreign intelligence. It is set to expire on April 19 if Congress does not act.
U.S. officials have said the tool, first authorized in 2008 and renewed several times since then, is crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions and foreign espionage and has also produced intelligence that the U.S. has relied on for specific operations.
But the administration's efforts to secure reauthorization of the program have encountered fierce, and bipartisan, pushback. Democrats who have long championed civil liberties, like Sen. Ron Wyden, have aligned with Republican supporters of Trump, who in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday stated incorrectly that Section 702 had been used to spy on his presidential campaign.
"Kill FISA," he wrote in all capital letters. "It was illegally used against me, and many others. They spied on my campaign." A former adviser to his 2016 presidential campaign was targeted over potential ties to Russia under a different section of the surveillance law.
A specific area of concern for lawmakers has centered on the FBI's use of the vast intelligence repository to look up information about Americans and others in the U.S. Though the surveillance program only targets non-Americans in other countries, it also collects communications of Americans when they are in contact with those targeted foreigners.
In the past year, U.S. officials have revealed a series of abuses and mistakes by FBI analysts in improperly querying the intelligence repository for information about Americans or others in the U.S, including about a member of Congress and participants in the racial justice protests of 2020 and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Those violations have led to demands for the FBI to have a warrant before conducting database queries on Americans, which FBI Director Chris Wray has warned would effectively gut the effectiveness of the program and was also legally unnecessary since the database contained already lawfully collected information.
"While it is imperative that we ensure this critical authority of 702 does not lapse, we also must not undercut the effectiveness of this essential tool with a warrant requirement or some similar restriction, paralyzing our ability to tackle fast-moving threats," Wray said in a speech Tuesday.
Johnson made a fresh push for passage on Wednesday, saying, "It's critical we address these abuses because we don't want to be able to lose section 702 of FISA. It's a critically important piece of our intelligence and law enforcement in this country."
Though the program would technically expire on April 19, the Biden administration said it expects its authority to collect intelligence to remain operational for another year, thanks to an earlier opinion from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which oversees surveillance applications.
- In:
- Mike Johnson
- Donald Trump
- Politics
veryGood! (35)
Related
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Wisconsin sheriff investigating homicide at aging maximum security prison
- Missouri death row inmate gets another chance at a hearing that could spare his life
- Hard Knocks recap: Velus Jones Jr., Ian Wheeler, Austin Reed get one last chance to impress Bears
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- The best 2024 SUVs for towing: all sizes, all capability
- Don't Miss Kate Spade Outlet's Labor Day Sale: Chic Bags, Wristlets & More Up to 81% off, Starting at $19
- The new 2025 Lincoln Navigator is here and it's spectacular
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- Tori Spelling Shares Why She's Dressing 7-Year-Old Son Beau in School Clothes Before Bed
Ranking
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- Scooter Braun Addresses Docuseries on His and Taylor Swift's Feud
- Navy recruiting rebounds, but it will miss its target to get sailors through boot camp
- Auditor faults Pennsylvania agency over fees from Medicaid-funded prescriptions
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- Investment group buying Red Lobster names former PF Chang's executive as next CEO
- Georgia’s former first lady and champion of literacy has school named in her honor
- How safe are luxury yachts? What to know after Mike Lynch yacht disaster left 7 dead
Recommendation
Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
Woman shot at White Sox game sues team and stadium authority
Kelsea Ballerini Shares Her Dog Dibs Has Inoperable Heart Cancer
2 Arizona women found dead in overturned vehicle on Mexico highway, police say
Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
Family of Grand Canyon flash flood victim raises funds for search team: 'Profoundly grateful'
Nebraska’s Supreme Court to decide if those with felony convictions can vote in November
Woman shot at White Sox game sues team and stadium authority