U.S. House blocks FISA extension as Section 702 nears expiration

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House blocks FISA extension

Highlights

The U.S. House rejected an extension of Section 702 through July 2 by a 198-218 vote as Democrats opposed Trump's Pulte nomination.
Democratic leaders cited Pulte's lack of national security experience and raised privacy concerns about Americans' data in surveillance programs.
With Section 702 set to expire Friday, House-Senate negotiations stalled after Trump reaffirmed Pulte's nomination for director of national intelligence starting June 19.

House vote collapses amid fight over Pulte nomination

As reported by CNBC, the U.S. House on Thursday rejected a proposal to extend Section 702 through July 2, with the measure failing by a vote of 198-218 as Democrats withheld support over Trump’s selection of Pulte for the intelligence post.

Trump tapped Pulte for the role earlier this month, triggering criticism from both parties. Pulte currently leads the Federal Housing Finance Agency and has used that position to pursue probes involving several of Trump’s political opponents over alleged mortgage-related wrongdoing, but he has no prior national security experience.

House Democratic leaders said they support the foreign intelligence authority in principle but oppose renewing it without major changes. In a joint statement, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Whip Katherine Clark, Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, Intelligence Committee ranking member Jim Himes and Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin said Pulte lacks the extensive national security background required for the job and raised concerns about privacy protections for Americans.

Security stakes rise as Friday deadline approaches

Section 702 allows the government to collect communications of people outside the U.S., including cases in which they interact with Americans. The program remains contentious because privacy advocates warn that Americans’ data can be swept into government collection, while supporters argue it is central to counterterrorism and broader national security operations.

House Speaker Mike Johnson says the authority is a vital tool for monitoring terrorists seeking to harm Americans. Lawmakers had been negotiating a multi-year extension last week, but that effort stalled in the Senate on Friday after Trump announced Pulte as his temporary pick for director of national intelligence.

Some Republicans, including Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, urged Trump to withdraw the nomination to improve the chances of passage. Trump instead reaffirmed his support this week, saying in a Truth Social post on Wednesday that Pulte would assume the role on June 19 and warning that Section 702 is important for military and public safety needs, including during the World Cup and America250 celebrations.

Our earlier coverage of the House Defense Subcommittee’s FY27 appropriations bill explained how lawmakers are trying to bolster military readiness through higher funding for munitions, advanced technologies, and defense industrial capacity. We noted that the measure underscores Congress’s focus on modernization and industrial-base resilience amid heightened global security pressures, even as it still must move through the broader appropriations process.

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