Senate Republicans Reject Effort to Halt Iran War

Headline USA Editor
-
0
Senate Republicans Reject Effort to Halt Iran War

(Headline USA) The Republican-led Senate on Wednesday rejected the latest Democratic attempt to halt President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, turning aside a resolution that would require the U.S. to withdraw forces from the conflict until Congress authorizes further action.

The 47-52 vote was the fourth time this year that the Senate has voted to cede its war powers to the president in a conflict that Democrats say is illegal and unjustified.

Republicans say they will keep faith in Trump’s wartime leadership, for now, citing Iran’s nuclear capabilities and the high stakes of withdrawal. But GOP lawmakers are also anxious for the conflict to end — and they may not defer to the executive branch indefinitely.

Some Republicans have already made clear that they are eyeing future votes that could become an important test for the president if the war drags on.

Under the War Powers Act of 1973, Congress must declare war or authorize use of force within 60 days of its start — a deadline that will arrive at the end of this month. The law provides for a potential 30-day extension of that deadline, but lawmakers have made clear that they want the administration to soon lay out a plan for the end of the conflict.

After the 60-day or 90-day deadline, “it’s time to fish or cut bait,” said Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

“I think that the administration would be wise to put together what would look like a well-founded authorization of military force and a funding strategy,” Tillis said.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has been talking to colleagues about putting together a resolution that would authorize the war beyond that time period. Republican Sens. John Curtis of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine have also said they would like to see congressional action.

“I have been clear from the beginning of this military operation that the President’s power is not unlimited as Commander in Chief, as the Constitution gives Congress an essential role in matters of war and peace,” Collins said in a statement. “If this conflict exceeds the 60 days specified in the War Powers Act, or if the President deploys troops on the ground, I believe that Congress should have to authorize those actions.”

Democrats say war is illegal, unnecessary

Democrats have vowed to force votes on the Senate floor as long as the war continues.

“As our troops continue to sacrifice whatever is asked of them, we senators need to do the absolute minimum required of us,” said Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, an Iraq war veteran who lost both legs in combat, before Wednesday’s vote.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that with gas prices climbing “the American people literally cannot afford for Republicans to forgo another opportunity to work with Democrats to end Trump’s disastrous war.”

War votes are still uncertain

Even as several Republicans are calling for eventual congressional action, it remains unclear if Republican leaders will go along. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said this week that “at this point most of us I think feel pretty good about what the military has achieved there.”

Thune would not commit to a vote. But he did say that “they do need a plan for how to wind this down, how to get an outcome that actually leads to a safer, more secure Middle East and, by extension, a stronger national security position for the United States.”

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said that at the 60-day deadline, Congress isn’t going to “jump up and say that’s it, it’s one second past 60 days, everybody come home.”

Some of the people who want a vote just want to embarrass Trump, Kennedy said.

“I want to see us achieve our objective in Iran,” Kennedy said. “And then I want to see us get out.”

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

US Catholic Bishops Clarify Just War Theory After Vance Incident

Headline USA Editor
-
0
US Catholic Bishops Clarify Just War Theory After Vance Incident

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) ​The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on Wednesday released a statement in response to Vice President JD Vance’s reference to the Catholic Church’s just war theory while criticizing Pope Leo XIV’s recent comments on war.

Vance made the comments at a Turning Point USA event on Tuesday night, saying that Pope Leo should be “careful” when discussing these matters.

“In the same way that it’s important for the vice president of the United States to be careful when I talk about matters of public policy, I think it’s very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology,” said Vance, who has made baseless claims about Iran’s nuclear program to justify the US-Israeli war against the country.

The vice president continued, “When the pope says that God is never on the side of people who wield the sword, there is more than a 1,000-year tradition of just war theory. We can, of course, have disagreements about whether this or that conflict is just.”

Vance was referencing an address Pope Leo recently delivered to a group of members of the Chaldean Church of Baghdad, whose communities were torn apart by the US invasion of Iraq, an excerpt of which was posted to his X account. “God does not bless any conflict. Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs,’ Leo said.

The US-born pope made similar remarks in his homily on Palm Sunday. “Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood’ (Is 1:15),” he said.

In response to Vance, Bishop James Massa, chair of the USCCB’s Committee on Doctrine, defended Pope Leo and clarified just war theory.

“For over a thousand years, the Catholic Church has taught just war theory and it is that long tradition the Holy Father carefully references in his comments on war. A constant tenet of that thousand-year tradition is a nation can only legitimately take up the sword ‘in self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2308). 

That is, to be a just war it must be a defense against another who actively wages war, which is what the Holy Father actually said: ‘He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war,’” Massa said.

“When Pope Leo XIV speaks as supreme pastor of the universal Church, he is not merely offering opinions on theology, he is preaching the Gospel and exercising his ministry as the Vicar of Christ. The consistent teaching of the Church is insistent that all people of good will must pray and work toward lasting peace while avoiding the evils and injustices that accompany all wars,” the bishop added.

Earlier this week, Vance, a Catholic who has a book coming out about his conversion this year, was asked about President Donald Trump’s attack on Pope Leo and said that it would be better for the Vatican to stick to “matters of morality,” appearing to suggest that the US vice president does not believe war is a moral issue.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.  

Pentagon Ramps Up Preparations for Potential Attack on Cuba

Headline USA Editor
-
0
Pentagon Ramps Up Preparations for Potential Attack on Cuba

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) ​The Pentagon has increased its preparations for a possible attack on Cuba, according to media reports, as President Donald Trump has made clear that war against the island nation may be his next military intervention.

Zeteo first reported the ramped-up plans for war with Cuba, saying that in recent days, “officials at the Pentagon and elsewhere in the US government were quietly given a new directive that came straight from the Trump White House. The message: ramp up your preparations for possible military operations against Cuba.”

USA Today affirmed the Zeteo scoop, reporting that military planning for war with Cuba has increased in case President Trump orders an attack on the country.

Trump may be eyeing an operation similar to the attack on Venezuela that resulted in the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as Zeteo reported that the administration is discussing plans to “attack and kidnap Cuban leaders.”

Since the attack on Venezuela, which killed at least 83 people, including four civilians, the US has been dealing with Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s vice president, who was sworn in as acting president. The has eased sanctions on Venezuela in an effort to control its oil industry and oil experts, and has cut off Cuba from Venezuelan oil, part of a ramped-up blockade that’s caused a devastating humanitarian crisis in the country.

The US has been engaged in some negotiations with Cuba, but it’s unclear what sort of deal would satisfy the US, as the main driver of the policy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, would likely not accept an arrangement that keeps the current government in power.

On Monday, President Trump told USA Today that the US “may stop by Cuba after we’re finished with this,” referencing the US-Israeli conflict against Iran. The president has previously said that he wants to have the “honor” of “taking Cuba” and that he feels that he “can do anything I want with it.”

In the face of the pressure and threats from the US, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has said he will not step down and has vowed that Cuba is ready to fight.

“An invasion of Cuba would have costs. … It would affect the security of Cuba, the United States and of the region,” Diaz-Canel told NBC News in a recent interview. “If that happens, there will be fighting, and there will be a struggle, and we will defend ourselves, and if we need to die, we’ll die, because as our national anthem says, ‘Dying for the homeland is to live.’”

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.  

Israeli Military Chief Approves Plans for Attack on Iran

Headline USA Editor
-
0
Israeli Military Chief Approves Plans for Attack on Iran

(Kyle Anzalone, Libertarian Institute) IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said that he approved attack plans for Iran and Lebanon. The statement was made in the middle of a two-week ceasefire. 

On Wednesday, Zamir said he “approved plans for the continuation [of the war] – both in Lebanon and in Iran.” Israel, the US, and Iran are currently in an uneasy truce as Washington and Tehran attempt to broker a deal to end the conflict. 

The ceasefire, which came into effect last week, was intended to cover all warring parties in the Middle East, including Lebanon. However, after agreeing to the truce, Washington and Tel Aviv claimed that the ceasefire did not cover Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. 

Following the announcement of the truce, Israel ramped up military operations in Lebanon. “We are capturing and clearing key areas [in Lebanon] and removing threats from the northern settlements,” Zamir said. 

Hezbollah said that Tehran is pressuring Washington to force Tel Aviv to implement the ceasefire in Lebanon. 

Pakistan is currently relaying messages between US and Iranian official attempted to work out a deal before the ceasefire expires. Zamir said any deal must not allow Tehran to have any victories. “Now we must not allow them any achievements on the nuclear issue, in Hormuz and in the other matters on the table,” he added. “We know how to scramble them for an immediate powerful strike.”

Iran has significantly improved its strategic position since the start of the conflict. Many US bases in the Middle East have been destroyed, Israel is running out of interceptors at a faster pace than Iran is depleting its stockpile of missiles, and Tehran now controls the Strait of Hormuz. 

 

This article originally appeared at The Libertarian Institute.

US Sends Thousands More Troops to Middle East, Considers Ground Ops in Iran

Headline USA Editor
-
0
US Sends Thousands More Troops to Middle East, Considers Ground Ops in Iran

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) ​​The United States is sending thousands of additional troops to the Middle East and is considering restarting the bombing campaign against Iran or launching ground operations in the country, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed US officials.

The report said that the forces include 6,000 troops aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush and its accompanying warships. Notably, the Bush traveled around southern Africa on its way to the region instead of going through the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal, the typical route of US warships, signaling the US is concerned the Houthis in Yemen could close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

About 4,200 other US troops, including thousands of Marines, are heading to the region from the Pacific aboard the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group. The Post said they are expected to reach the Middle East by the end of April. Once both forces arrive, the US will have more than 60,000 troops in the region.

The buildup and the US blockade of Iranian ports are framed as an effort to get Iran to agree to US demands for a diplomatic deal. But according to President Trump, the US is continuing to demand that Iran make a commitment to never again enrich uranium for civilian purposes, a condition that’s seen as a non-starter and will likely lead to a renewal of the bombing campaign if the US sticks to it.

The current ceasefire between the US and Iran will expire on April 22 if it’s not extended. Other reports have said that President Trump has considered launching “limited” strikes in Iran to get Tehran to capitulate, but any renewed bombing campaign would mean a return to full-blown war.

Concerning possible ground operations, the Post report said that Trump administration officials have “discussed everything from launching a complex Special Operations mission to extract Iranian nuclear material, to landing Marines on coastal areas and islands to protect the strait, to seizing Kharg Island, an Iranian export facility in the Persian Gulf.”

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.  

 

Federal Prosecutors Turned Away from Federal Reserve Building, as Trump Threatens to Fire Powell

Headline USA Editor
-
0
Federal Prosecutors Turned Away from Federal Reserve Building, as Trump Threatens to Fire Powell

(Headline USA) Federal prosecutors made an unannounced visit this week to a construction site at Federal Reserve headquarters that is the focus of an investigation into a $2.5 billion renovation project, according to two people familiar with the visit.

Two prosecutors and an investigator from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office were turned away on Tuesday by a building contractor and referred to Fed attorneys, one of the people said. The two people familiar with the visit spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation.

Last month, during a closed-door hearing before a federal judge, a top deputy from Pirro’s office conceded that they hadn’t found any evidence of a crime in their investigation of the headquarters project.

The investigation has faced bipartisan opposition in Congress. It also has delayed Senate consideration of Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump’s pick to replace Fed chairman Jerome Powell when his term ends May 15.

Robert Hur, an attorney for the Federal Reserve board of governors, sent an email to Pirro’s prosecutors about their visit and their request for a “tour” to “check on progress” at the construction site. Hur’s email, which The Associated Press has viewed, noted that U.S. District Judge James Boasberg concluded that their interest in the Federal Reserve’s renovation project was “pretextual.”

“Should you wish to challenge that finding, the courts provide an avenue for you; it is not appropriate for you to try to circumvent it,” Hur wrote.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who is a key member of the Senate Banking Committee, posted a link on social media to The Wall Street Journal’s article on the visit below an image of the Three Stooges and wrote, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. at the crime scene.”

The investigation by Pirro’s office centered on brief testimony last June by Powell before the Senate Banking Committee, when he was asked about cost overruns on the Fed’s extensive building renovations. The most recent estimates from the Fed suggest the current estimated cost of $2.5 billion is about $600 million higher than a 2022 estimate of $1.9 billion.

News of the unannounced visit by prosecutors comes as Trump has again threatened to fire Powell, if the Federal Reserve Chair decides to stay on the central bank’s governing board after his term as chair expires next month.

“Well then I’ll have to fire him, OK?” Trump told Fox Business in an interview that aired Wednesday when reminded that Powell has said he won’t leave the Fed while the Justice Department investigates a $2.5 billion renovation project at the bank.

Trump has for months wanted to remove Powell as chair of the Fed, saying he has been too slow in orchestrating interest rate cuts that would give the U.S. economy a quick boost. Powell has said the investigation is a pretext to undermine the Fed’s independence to set rates.

Powell’s term as Fed governor expires May 15, but his term as a Fed board member lasts until January 2028.

Warsh’s confirmation to succeed Powell has been delayed. Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, has said he won’t vote to confirm any Fed nominees until the investigation is dropped.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

 

US Southern Command Kills Six in Latest Boat Strikes in Eastern Pacific Ocean

Headline USA Editor
-
0
US Southern Command Kills Six in Latest Boat Strikes in Eastern Pacific Ocean

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) ​​US Southern Command announced on Monday that its forces bombed an alleged drug-running boat in the waters of Latin America, and said that the attack killed at least two people. On Tuesday, SOUTHCOM announced an attack on another boat that it said killed four people.

SOUTHCOM said both boats were in the Eastern Pacific Ocean when they were hit, and it offered no evidence to back up its claim that either vessel was carrying drugs, something that the Pentagon hasn’t done for any of the boats it has blown up since the bombing campaign started in September 2025.

According to numbers from The Intercept, the latest strikes bring the total number of boats that have been destroyed to 52 and the total number of people who’ve been killed in the campaign to 175.

All of the people killed have been civilians, as they were not engaged in combat and didn’t pose any threat to the US at the time of the strikes. The Trump administration labels the people it kills as “narco-terrorists,” a term that it uses to justify what are extrajudicial executions at sea for an alleged crime that doesn’t receive the death penalty in the US.

Much of the attention on the bombing campaign has focused on a September 2 attack that involved a double-tap strike to kill survivors, which has been widely condemned as a war crime. But many legal experts say that the entire bombing campaign is clearly illegal under US and international law since the US military has no right to bomb civilian vessels.

Last month, the US military escalated its campaign in Latin America by supporting Ecuadorian against alleged drug targets in Ecuador, an effort dubbed “Operation Total Extermination.”

According to a report from The New York Times, one of the first operations involved bombing what the US and Ecuador claimed was a drug camp, but turned out to be a dairy farm, raising questions about the credibility of the US military’s intelligence in the region and claims about what it’s targeting.

US military operations in the region also included the January 3 attack on Venezuela to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The US assault on Venezuela killed 83 people, including four civilians.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com. 

Trump Rejects Reports That US Proposed Iran Suspend Uranium Enrichment for 20 Years

Headline USA Editor
-
0
Trump Rejects Reports That US Proposed Iran Suspend Uranium Enrichment for 20 Years

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) ​​President Donald Trump on Tuesday rejected reports that said the US has proposed to Iran to freeze uranium enrichment for 20 years, suggesting that he wants a permanent end to Iran’s nuclear enrichment program.

The president made the comments to the New York Post and again conflated the idea of any uranium enrichment with the pursuit of nuclear weapons, even though Tehran has been willing to cap uranium enrichment at very low levels far below the 90% enrichment needed for a weapon.

“I’ve been saying they can’t have nuclear weapons, so I don’t like the 20 years,” the president said. When asked whether a 20-year moratorium could work as a deal, since it could allow Iran to sell it as a win, Trump said, “I don’t want them to feel like they have a win.”

Before the war, Iran was willing to suspend uranium enrichment for three to five years since its program was already effectively frozen by the June 2025 US airstrikes on its nuclear facilities. The New York Times reported that Iran responded to the US proposal for a 20-year suspension by again offering a five-year pause.

Iran is not expected to capitulate to the US demand to never enrich uranium, which Joe Kent, a former senior Trump administration official who resigned over opposition to the Iran war, has described as a “poison pill” meant to serve Israel’s interest in the US continuing the war.

“The Israelis push for zero uranium enrichment because they know it’s a poison pill for Iran & will result in the war continuing,” Kent, who stepped down from his role as the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, said in a post on X on Monday.

Trump also suggested in his comments to the Post that another round of talks between the US and Iran could take place in Pakistan in “two days,” though the status of the negotiations is unclear. The US military is currently enforcing its own blockade on the Strait of Hormuz and has said that it will block ships that are heading to or departing from Iranian ports.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.  

7-Eleven Expects to Close Hundreds of its Stores in North America This Year

Headline USA Editor
-
0
7-Eleven Expects to Close Hundreds of its Stores in North America This Year

(Headline USA) Convenience chain 7-Eleven expects to close hundreds of its locations this year.

According to earnings filings published last week, 7-Eleven’s North American operator plans to close 645 stores in the 2026 fiscal year — outpacing the 205 locations it forecasts it will open during that same time.

Seven & i Holdings Co., the Japan-based parent of the convenience chain, noted that these closures “include the conversion to wholesale fuel stores.” Financial documents show that 7-Eleven Inc. has steadily opened new wholesale fuel stores in North America over recent years, which accounted for more than 900 locations as of December 2025.

The company did not immediately explain the closures or specify which locations could be impacted. The Associated Press reached out for further information.

According to the company’s website, there are over 86,000 7-Eleven stores across 19 countries today. 7-Eleven Inc., the brand’s North American operator based in Texas, oversees more than 13,000 locations in the United States and Canada.

The convenience giant has closed hundreds of underperforming locations over the years, and the latest cuts arrive as higher prices strain consumers worldwide. The U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran has especially rattled energy markets, with drivers now facing soaring gas prices.

Consumers were facing stubborn inflation even before the war. In North America specifically, Seven & i noted in its April 9 report, “although the economy remained robust, personal consumption also began to soften” for the 2025 fiscal year — “particularly among low-income households, as inflation continued to weigh on spending.”

Openings for Seven & i subsidiaries outside of North America are set to outpace the stores they’re closing — including Seven-Eleven Japan, which expects to close 350 stores and open 550 locations, per financial filings.

Seven & i expects its revenue to fall 9.4% for the current fiscal year, totaling a projected nearly 9.45 trillion yen (about $59.5 billion).

The company has been looking for new opportunities for growth, and last year outlined a wider transformation plan aimed at boosting its convenience store offerings. Among goals, Seven & i has said it would invest in more fresh food offerings and expand its “7NOW” delivery service.

The changes also arrive under new leadership. Stephen Hayes Dacus became Seven & i’s CEO last spring.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

Trump Urges Extending Foreign Surveillance Program as Some Lawmakers Push for US Privacy Protections

Headline USA Editor
-
0
Trump Urges Extending Foreign Surveillance Program as Some Lawmakers Push for US Privacy Protections

(Headline USA) Congress is set to take up the reauthorization of a divisive program that lets U.S. spy agencies pore over foreigners’ calls, texts and emails, with supporters like President Donald Trump saying it has saved lives while critics point to longstanding concerns about warrantless surveillance of Americans.

A key provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act permits the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI and other agencies to collect and analyze vast amounts of overseas communications without a warrant. It incidentally sweeps up the conversations of any Americans who interact with those foreigners targeted for surveillance.

The program expires Monday, and critics want changes, including a requirement for warrants before authorities can access the emails, phone calls or text messages of Americans. They also want limits on the government’s use of internet data brokers, who sell large volumes of personal information gleaned online, offering the government what critics say amounts to an end-run around the Constitution.

Despite bipartisan criticism, the chances of significant reforms dropped when Trump announced his support for the program’s renewal, saying it had proven its worth in supplying information vital to recent U.S. actions in Venezuela and Iran.

“The fact is, whether you like FISA or not, it is extremely important to our military,” Trump said on social media Tuesday.

U.S. authorities say the program, known as Section 702 of the law, is vital to national security and has saved lives by uncovering terror plots. Critics question what they call a dangerous infringement on civil liberties and privacy.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said a different FISA provision was used to spy on his 2016 campaign but that he supported Section 702’s renewal despite misgivings that political adversaries could use parts of the law against him in the future. He called on lawmakers to extend the foreign surveillance program for another 18 months.

“My administration has worked tirelessly to ensure these FISA reforms are being aggressively executed at every level of the Executive Branch to keep Americans safe, while protecting our sacred Civil Liberties guaranteed by our Great Constitution,” Trump wrote.

Trump is a longtime critic of the nation’s intelligence services and was once opposed to Section 702 before he reversed himself. “KILL FISA” Trump posted on social media in 2024, when the provision was last reauthorized.

Trump isn’t the only one-time critic to change their mind: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard sponsored legislation to repeal Section 702 as a Hawaii congresswoman but now supports it after being tapped to coordinate the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies.

Gabbard says new protections added since her time in Congress helped change her mind.

In addition to a requirement for a warrant to access Americans’ data, critics also want greater protections on how the FBI or other agencies can search communications and how that is reported to the public.

“Journalists, foreign aid workers, people with family overseas, all could have their communications swept up in this surveillance merely because they talked to someone outside of this country,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. The longtime critic of the law is pushing for changes that he said will ensure the government isn’t violating civil rights in secret.

Several Republicans also have suggested changes, such as the warrant requirement.

“National security and civil liberties are not mutually exclusive,” said Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. “We can give our intelligence professionals the tools they need to target foreign threats while ensuring that Americans are not subjected to unconstitutional surveillance.”

Gabbard’s office releases an annual report showing the number of foreign surveillance targets and number of searches likely to identify an American.

For 2025, the number of foreign surveillance targets increased to nearly 350,000 from almost 292,000 in 2024. Searches using terms likely to identify an American decreased slightly to 7,724 from 7,845 in 2024.

The totals are incomplete because agencies like the FBI have found ways to access the data without reporting the searches publicly, said Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University.

FBI officials repeatedly violated their own standards when searching for intelligence related to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and racial justice protests in 2020, according to a 2024 court order.

“It’s reminiscent of J. Edgar Hoover’s tenure at the FBI,” Goitein said, referring to the FBI’s founding director who used illegal surveillance to harass and spy on Americans. “They can pretty much target anyone.”

Despite bipartisan concerns about the law and its implications for civil liberties, time is running out for Congress to make any changes before Monday’s expiration.

Trump’s support also reduces the odds that enough Republicans will break ranks and join Democrats to push for reforms.

Wyden said Section 702 votes are routinely delayed until the last minute, then lawmakers are told that national security demands they vote yes. Lawmakers are told, he said, that “if they vote for any amendments, the program will die and terrible things will happen and it will be all their fault.”

The best chance for inserting changes likely is the House, where a large number of lawmakers from both parties have expressed concerns.

But Rep. Rick Crawford, an Arkansas Republican who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, is backing Trump’s call for an 18-month renewal.

Crawford has taken aim in the past at what he calls the weaponization of intelligence but said last month that he believes the government can empower spy agencies while also holding them accountable.

“We can walk and chew gum at the same time,” Crawford said.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

1...180181182...3,815Page 181 of 3,815