Congress passes 45-day extension of federal surveillance law as debate over protections continues
Congress passed a 45-day extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, delaying a final decision on reauthorizing the foreign surveillance law amid ongoing debate over privacy protections. The short-term extension follows a previous 10-day delay and allows more time for discussions on reforms, including potential warrant requirements for accessing Americans' data. Lawmakers remain divided, with some seeking stronger oversight and transparency, including the declassification of a recent FISA court ruling.
- ▪Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was extended for 45 days after an initial April 20 deadline and a prior 10-day extension.
- ▪The Senate passed the extension by voice vote, and the House approved it 261-111, sending it to President Trump for signature.
- ▪The House previously passed a three-year reauthorization with new oversight measures but without requiring warrants for U.S. data searches.
- ▪Sen. Ron Wyden agreed to support the 45-day extension after securing a commitment from Sens. Tom Cotton and Mark Warner to request declassification of a March 17 FISA court decision.
- ▪The FISA court raised concerns about filtering tools used by the FBI and NSA to process data collected under Section 702.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Congress on Thursday punted its deadline to reauthorize a foreign surveillance law for the second time as lawmakers continue to debate privacy protections for Americans’ data caught in the spying operations. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was set to expire at midnight after lawmakers previously extended the initial April 20 reauthorization deadline by 10 days. The Senate passed a second extension of 45 days by voice vote on Thursday afternoon. The House then cleared the measure for President Trump’s signature in a 261-111 vote. Some House Republicans were frustrated that the Senate declined to take up a three-year FISA reauthorization that the lower chamber passed on Wednesday.
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