Congress Punts FISA Reauthorization Another Six Weeks
Congress passed a short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act just before it was set to expire, delaying a final decision on long-term reauthorization until June 12. The House approved the extension with bipartisan support, though Democrats were more divided, while the Senate passed it via voice vote. The temporary measure preserves the government's ability to collect foreign intelligence, including data involving U.S. citizens, without immediate reform or expiration.
- ▪Congress extended Section 702 of FISA temporarily until June 12, 2026, avoiding its expiration at midnight on April 30.
- ▪The House voted 261 to 111 to extend the surveillance authority, with most Republicans supporting and Democrats split.
- ▪Section 702 allows warrantless collection of U.S. citizens' communications when in contact with foreign targets under surveillance.
- ▪President Donald Trump, previously critical of FISA, called for a 'clean extension' in April 2026, citing national security needs.
- ▪The FBI conducted over 200,000 queries of Americans' data under Section 702 in 2022, according to a 2023 intelligence report.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Politics Congress Punts FISA Reauthorization Another Six Weeks (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Justin Bailey Associate Editor April 30, 2026 6:57 PM ET April 30, 2026 6:57 PM ET Justin Bailey Associate Editor Font Size: const observer = new MutationObserver((mutations) => { const adDivToHide = document.querySelector("#dailycaller_incontent_1"); if (adDivToHide && dc_noads_page) { adDivToHide.classList.add("hide-premium", "hide-free"); observer.disconnect(); console.log("Ad div found and hidden"); } }); observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true }); Congress temporarily extended a spy tool granting the U.S. government the ability to surveil its citizens’ communications Thursday before it was set to expire at midnight.
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