Congress passes short-term FISA extension

Kate Santaliz

Politician in a navy suit and blue tie speaks at a podium as reporters hold phones; a white statue and doorway surround him in a marble-walled hallway. — House Speaker Mike Johnson fields questions from reporters on April 30. Photo: Graeme Sloan/Getty Images

The House passed a 45-day clean extension of Section 702 of FISA — the government's warrantless surveillance authority — after the Senate failed to accept the House's long-term extension of the program.

Why it matters: The national security tool won't lapse Thursday night, but lawmakers are punting another thorny fight just weeks down the road.

A group of lawmakers has dug in on demanding warrant requirements be attached to the bill despite leadership's resistance.
Thursday's vote was 261-111. The bill now heads to the president's desk for his signature.

Driving the news: The House on Wednesday evening passed a three-year extension of the program.

House GOP leaders tacked on a ban on a central bank digital currency to win over conservative holdouts who had pushed for broader surveillance reforms.
But that provision drew bipartisan opposition in the Senate, where lawmakers opted instead Thursday to pass the 45-day patch.

Catch up quick: Congress passed an initial short-term FISA extension earlier this month after a group of House Republicans blocked attempts to pass five-year and 18-month renewals of the program.

The first short-term patch didn't turn out to be enough time to pass a full extension.

What's next: Congressional leaders now have an additional 45 days to try to break the impasse.

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Congress passes short-term FISA extension

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