Speaker Johnson Scrambles for Votes After GOP Torpedoes FISA Extension
House Republicans are racing to strike a deal on a controversial surveillance law after their own party blocked earlier attempts to renew it.
According to Axios and The Guardian, a group of GOP lawmakers joined Democrats to derail both a five-year and 18-month extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, forcing Congress to pass only a short-term extension through April 30.
The law allows U.S. intelligence agencies to conduct warrantless surveillance of foreign targets, while also collecting some communications involving Americans. Critics across both parties say that raises major privacy concerns.
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Now, GOP leadership is under pressure to negotiate a new agreement before the deadline, with divisions centered on whether to require warrants for accessing Americans’ data.
President Donald Trump and national security officials have pushed Republicans to unify behind renewal, warning of security risks if the law lapses.
But resistance inside the GOP remains strong, leaving the outcome uncertain.
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