The Senate approved a short-term FISA Section 702 extension hours before it expires, teeing up another urgent vote in the House.
A last-minute Senate vote is buying time for U.S. surveillance powers just as a key deadline looms, with Congress racing to keep Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act from expiring.
On Thursday. the Senate passed a 45-day extension of Section 702. a provision that allows intelligence agencies to conduct certain surveillance activities targeting non-U.S.. persons without a warrant.. The program is scheduled to expire at midnight Friday if lawmakers in both chambers fail to agree on new legislation.
The move sets up a renewed showdown in the House. where lawmakers have been working through a fast-moving standoff over how to handle Section 702 as it faces another expiration.. The Senate action also comes after earlier calendar shifts that pushed the timeline beyond an initial April 20 end date. reflecting how negotiations have repeatedly been tightened by the clock.
Why the FISA fight is intensifying
Supporters in both parties have argued that letting Section 702 lapse would impair the government’s ability to identify threats abroad.. But opponents and reform advocates have pressed for changes. including proposals tied to requiring warrants for certain searches of communications involving U.S.. persons that are incidentally collected through foreign-intelligence activities.
In the House. a different approach moved forward earlier this week: the lower chamber passed a longer-term bill that included a provision barring a central bank digital currency.. That language was designed to win over conservative lawmakers who have been skeptical of extending Section 702 without additional reforms. yet the Senate has rejected that policy rider.
Senate rejects “poison pill” as talks continue
Senate Majority Leader John Thune characterized the central bank digital currency ban as a “poison pill. ” and the upper chamber instead opted for a 45-day stopgap.. The intent is to prevent Section 702 from shutting down while negotiators try to close gaps between House and Senate versions of the legislation.
With both chambers scheduled to be on recess next week, time pressure is already high. The House must now act quickly on the short-term measure before the authority expires, even as Speaker Mike Johnson signaled that the lower chamber would wait to see what the Senate produces.