Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) speaks to reporters as he arrives to attend the House Republican Conference at the Capitol on March 6, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Kent Nishimura | Getty Images
The House of Representatives on Thursday voted 261-111 to extend the controversial foreign surveillance program for 45 days, the vote coming just before the program’s expiration date.
The Senate passed the bill unanimously on Thursday, and it will then go to President Donald Trump for his 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 of people outside the United States, including when they are interacting with Americans. Opponents say extending the program without modification could lead to human rights violations and the U.S. government spying on Americans, while supporters say it is an important national security tool.
The Senate had rejected a bipartisan House proposal to reauthorize the program for three years. The measure included unrelated language that would have prohibited the Federal Reserve from creating a central bank digital currency.
Senators from both parties opposed the digital currency language and instead pivoted to their own short-term solutions to FISA, embarking on wide-ranging negotiations before lawmakers return to Washington in mid-May after a scheduled 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 Thursday’s House debate.
“The 702 Program is critical to protecting our national security and advancing our interests abroad. This temporary extension will ensure there is no disruption to the program while we resolve our differences regarding a longer-term reauthorization,” Jordan said.
Thursday’s vote marks 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 to continue the surveillance program through Thursday.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, concerned about personal privacy, want to end the government’s warrantless collection of its citizens as part of the program.
“Protecting our safety should not prevent us from protecting our rights. We can have both,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee.
