Trump's intelligence chiefs urge Congress to renew FISA before year's end
A letter from the attorney general and intelligence leaders sets a December 9 deadline for reauthorizing Section 702 surveillance.
The attorney general, the director of national intelligence and the CIA director signed a letter urging congressional leaders to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The letter sets a deadline of Dec. 9, less than a month before the new Congress takes office in January. An administration official said the White House is fully behind the push.
The letter warns that any delay beyond the deadline would risk the authority lapsing, which it says could put Americans at home and troops overseas at risk. It calls Section 702 the most indispensable tool for detecting terrorist plots, cyber intrusions and weapons proliferation. The letter was addressed to Senate and House leaders of both parties.
Section 702 allows intelligence agencies to collect communications of Americans when they are talking with foreign targets of investigations. Privacy advocates and constitutional scholars have argued the program is similar to warrantless surveillance. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence credits the program with helping thwart a 2024 attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna.
Key points
- Attorney General Todd Blanche, DNI Jay Clayton and CIA Director John Ratcliffe signed the letter.
- The deadline set is Dec. 9, 2026.
- Privacy advocates argue Section 702 resembles warrantless surveillance.
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