House Vote to Extend FISA Spy Tool Fails and It Could Lapse as Friday Deadline Looms
Democrats blocked the stopgap after Trump’s acting intelligence pick drew objections, leaving the surveillance authority headed toward its first lapse since 2008.
- On Friday, June 12, 2026, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Section 702 surveillance program lapsed after Congress adjourned without passing an extension, marking the first expiration of the counterterrorism measure since 2008.
- Democrats blocked the extension, citing concerns over President Donald Trump's appointment of housing official Bill Pulte as acting Director of National Intelligence, arguing he lacks necessary intelligence experience.
- Sen. Mark Warner, vice chair of the Intelligence Committee, warned that companies might refuse to provide information without legal indemnification, even though the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court maintains a certification valid until March 2027.
- Kia Hamadanchy, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, stated existing certifications provide a "safety net," allowing surveillance to continue without immediate consequences until March 2027.
- President Trump nominated U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton as permanent director on Thursday, but the move failed to break the legislative impasse; the Senate is scheduled to return Monday, June 15, 2026.
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260 Articles
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Key U.S. Surveillance Authority Expires After Congress Fails to Reach Agreement on Extension
A major U.S. intelligence-gathering authority is set to expire after Congress adjourned without approving legislation to extend it, creating uncertainty about the future of one of the government’s most powerful surveillance tools and raising questions about how intelligence agencies will continue collecting information tied to national security threats.
A key U.S. spying program expires Friday night. What does that mean?
The intelligence-gathering program that allows U.S. government surveillance of foreigners abroad by collecting domestic communication information expired at the end of the day Friday after the House and Senate left town without passing an extension. This will be the first time the law, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, has lapsed since the counterterrorism and counterespionage measure was passed in 2008. What that means f…
Section 702 Surveillance Reaches Its Friday Deadline. Why “Going Dark” Is a Myth
by Dan Frieth, Reclaim The Net: The government’s broadest warrantless surveillance power is set to expire Friday after the House refused to keep it running. Lawmakers voted down a three-week extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on Thursday, 218 to 198, with 19 Republicans joining most Democrats against it and seven […]
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