President Donald Trump is resisting calls from Republicans and Democrats to immediately name a permanent head of the nation’s intelligence agencies, instead sticking with his temporary pick, federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte. The move has increased the risk of a lapse in a law that allows the U.S. to gather intelligence abroad.

FISA Law Set to Expire

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA, allows agencies such as the CIA, National Security Agency, and FBI to collect communications from foreign targets overseas without a warrant. The law is set to expire on Friday at midnight, and Democrats say they won’t support its renewal unless Trump withdraws Pulte’s appointment and nominates a permanent replacement.

Trump has asked Congress for a short-term extension of the law to provide time for the selection and confirmation of a permanent director. However, he has stuck with Pulte as the acting head and said he wants to begin downsizing intelligence agencies. Senate Republicans have floated a short-term extension, but it was immediately rejected by Democrats.

The House is set to hold a vote on a stopgap to keep the program running through July 2, but the chances of passage appear slim. Trump said he needs more time to find a permanent replacement and told reporters that the agencies need to be downsized.

Concerns Over Pulte’s Appointment

Both Republican and Democratic senators have expressed concerns over Pulte’s lack of intelligence experience and his record at the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Pulte has been linked to criminal referrals over allegations of mortgage fraud by public officials Trump sought to punish.

Trump has said he is interviewing five candidates for the permanent position, all of whom have a national security background. One possible replacement could be Pete Hoekstra, Trump’s ambassador to Canada and a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.