(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The House was set to hold votes this week on the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but Speaker Mike Johnson abruptly delayed that process Wednesday afternoon—much to the dismay of FISA reformers, who want agencies such as the FBI to have to obtain warrants before spying on Americans.
Raj Shah, a spokesperson for Speaker Johnson, announced the delay just as the House Rules Committee was debating a FISA reform bill.
“In order to allow Congress more time to reach consensus on how best to reform FISA and Section 702 while maintaining the integrity of our critical national security programs, the House will consider the reform and reauthorization bill at a later date,” Shah said.
In order to allow Congress more time to reach consensus on how best to reform FISA and Section 702 while maintaining the integrity of our critical national security programs, the House will consider the reform and reauthorization bill at a later date.
— Raj Shah (@RajShahDC) February 14, 2024
Civil libertarians such as Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, expressed their displeasure at the development.
“UNBELIEVABLE,” Massie wrote on Twitter. “Just as we were winning the debate on requiring warrants for domestic spying in the FISA 702 reauthorization, the Speaker yanked the bill and cancelled the rest of Congress this week.”
Lee blamed the pro-spying Republican lawmakers for the delay, referring to them as “intel bros.”
“Just as the House was making progress on FISA reforms, the GOP “Intel Bros” demanded that the House adjourn—without reforming FISA 702 or even prohibiting warrantless “backdoor” searches of American citizens under FISA 702,” he said.
🧵 🚨 Update Re: FISA 702 🚨
1. Just as the House was making progress on FISA reforms, the GOP “Intel Bros”demanded that the House adjourn—without reforming FISA 702 or even prohibiting warrantless “backdoor” searches of American citizens under FISA 702.
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) February 14, 2024
Section 702 of FISA, which allows U.S. government agencies to target foreigners outside the U.S. for intelligence purposes, will sunset on April 19 unless reauthorized by Congress. Reformers have been pushing to require U.S. agencies to obtain warrants in order to spy on Americans caught in the Section 702 dragnet, but agencies such as the FBI argue that such requirements would jeopardize national security.
The Project for Privacy and Surveillance Accountability, which is in favor of warrant requirements, released a scathing statement after Wednesday’s delay.
“For months, the House Intelligence Committee warned that failure to reauthorize Section 702 would subject the American homeland to unprecedented danger. Now the Intelligence Committee has caused the bill to be pulled rather than allow the House to work its will and vote on a few reasonable and important reform amendments,” said PPSA general counsel Gene Schaerr.
“They are now willing to endanger Section 702 in its entirety unless they get everything they want. Think about it – the intelligence community and deep state are so determined to maintain the ability to spy on Americans that they are willing to put at risk the very authority they claim they need to protect us against foreign threats.”
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
