Congress passes extension of surveillance program
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) speaks with reporters as he arrives at the House Republican conference meeting on Capitol Hill on March 6, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Kent Nishimura | Getty Images
The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a 45-day extension of the controversial foreign surveillance program by a vote of 261 to 111, voting as the program was set to expire.
The Senate unanimously passed the measure early Thursday, which will next go to President Donald Trump for signature. The President called on Congress to reauthorize the program.
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 allows the government to collect communications from individuals outside the United States, including when they interact with Americans. Opponents argue that expanding the program without changes could lead to abuses and U.S. government spying on American citizens, while supporters say it is a crucial national security tool.
The Senate had rejected a bipartisan House proposal to reauthorize the program for three years. That measure included unrelated language that would prohibit the Federal Reserve from creating a central bank digital currency.
Senators from both parties opposed the digital currency language and instead turned to their own short-term solutions for FISA and broader negotiations until lawmakers return to Washington in mid-May after a planned recess.
“This is not the outcome any of us wanted for the FISA 702 program, but here we are,” Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said during House debate Thursday.
Jordan said, “The 702 program is extremely important to protecting our national security and advancing our interests abroad. This temporary extension will ensure that there is no disruption to the program while we resolve our differences over a longer reauthorization.” he said.
Thursday’s vote was the second short-term extension of the program in less than a month. On April 17, the House and Senate passed a 10-day patch that moves the surveillance program through Thursday.
Members on both sides of the aisle concerned about individual privacy have sought to end the government’s unauthorized collection of its citizens’ data as part of the program.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, said from the House floor: “Nothing about protecting our security should prevent us from protecting our rights. We can have both.”
