Section 702 surveillance law set to lapse after House vote falls short
U.S. surveillance powers face first lapse
The House of Representatives has failed to renew the government’s warrantless surveillance authority before it is due to expire Friday, all but ensuring that Section 702 will lapse for the first time. The vote came amid growing partisan friction and fresh anger over President Donald Trump’s handling of the intelligence agencies.
Lawmakers voted 218-198 on the bill, short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass. Nineteen Republicans opposed the measure. According to Politico, the next vote is scheduled for June 23.
Section 702, part of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, allows U.S. intelligence agencies to collect large volumes of communications data, including information involving Americans, in efforts to identify foreign hackers, spies and potential terrorists. It has long been viewed by both parties as a core national security tool, but it has also drawn persistent criticism over abuse and weak oversight.
Bipartisan negotiations to renew the law stalled in recent weeks, with lawmakers only able to approve short-term extensions while talks continued. Reformers from both parties have pushed for stricter limits, including a requirement that spy agencies obtain a court-approved warrant before accessing Americans’ private communications. The Trump administration has instead sought a clean reauthorization.
The debate took a new turn last week when Trump appointed Bill Pulte, a close ally with no intelligence or national security background, as acting director of national intelligence. The post oversees the country’s dozen-plus spy agencies, including the CIA and NSA. The appointment fueled concerns among Democrats that the administration could use the intelligence apparatus against political opponents and weaken the office itself.
Those concerns intensified this week when the administration pulled Pulte’s nomination and replaced him with Jay Clayton, the former Securities and Exchange Commission chair and current U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. But the move came too late to rescue the surveillance measure before its deadline.
For now, the lapse would mark an unusual break for a law that has survived years of criticism and repeated reauthorizations across administrations of both parties.
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