The House of Representatives voted against a short-term extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) program, which is set to expire soon. The vote was 198-218, with 19 Republicans joining nearly all Democrats in opposition to the three-week extension of Section 702. The bill required a two-thirds majority to pass under an expedited process.
Seven Democrats voted in favor of the extension, including Reps. Josh Gottheimer, Henry Cuellar, Vicente Gonzalez, Don Davis, Jared Golden, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. The failure to pass the extension follows weeks of stalled negotiations.
Some Republican opposition came from hard-liners demanding a warrant requirement for accessing data of U.S. citizens, which is not currently mandated under Section 702, allowing surveillance of foreign nationals abroad without a warrant. Democrats withheld support due to concerns over President Donald Trump's appointment of Bill Pulte as acting Director of National Intelligence, arguing that he lacks the necessary national security experience.
Democratic leaders stated that while Section 702 is important for foreign intelligence, they could not support reauthorization without reforms to protect national security and Americans' privacy rights. They have called on Trump to reconsider Pulte's appointment before supporting any surveillance program deal, a request that has not been met. Trump has urged Congress to pass a short-term deal to prevent the lapse of the surveillance authority, emphasizing its importance for national security.