The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives rejected a short-term extension of foreign surveillance powers sought by President Donald Trump, deepening a political standoff over his selection of an inexperienced loyalist to serve as the top U.S. spy chief.
With surveillance authority due to expire after midnight on Friday, the House voted 218 to 198 to reject a measure that would have extended the spying powers until July 2. Nineteen Republicans joined most Democrats to oppose the measure. Seven Democrats voted for the extension.
Background
Republican leaders had sought to extend the program for three weeks to give Trump time to find a permanent replacement for mortgage regulator Bill Pulte, whom Trump picked to serve as acting head of the country’s sprawling spy bureaucracy. Trump called for the short-term extension on Wednesday.
The appointment was met with outrage from Democrats and some Republicans over Pulte’s lack of experience and Democrats have vowed to shun efforts to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Some Republicans have also rejected an extension, saying the law lacks protections for U.S. citizens, including warrant requirements.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters after the failed vote, which he blamed entirely on Democrats, that it is shameful and very, very dangerous. Johnson rejected a suggestion that Trump could replace Pulte with a more experienced candidate to break the deadlock and gain support for a FISA extension from Democrats, saying Pulte’s appointment would last only for a short time.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York shot back: If there’s no reason to pull Bill Pulte, according to Speaker Johnson, because he only will be there for a short period of time, that’s the reason to pull Bill Pulte.
Democrats contend that Trump picked Pulte, a federal mortgage regulator, because of his willingness to use confidential data to push mortgage fraud probes of the president’s perceived enemies.
Unless Republican and Democratic lawmakers find a compromise or Trump drops Pulte, U.S. intelligence agencies will lose legal authority to collect emails, texts and cellphone data of foreigners believed to be located outside the United States without individual judicial warrants.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
