President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson met at the White House on Tuesday as a critical deadline neared for Congress to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, with the surveillance program set to expire Friday unless lawmakers act. The meeting comes as Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence has severely complicated bipartisan negotiations on the renewal.
Section 702 authorizes the federal government to conduct warrantless surveillance of foreign targets, a tool that intelligence officials say is essential for national security. The House passed a FISA reauthorization bill in April with various reforms, but the Senate is working on a separate version and will need Democratic support to advance any measure.
Trump’s selection of Pulte—the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency with no known intelligence experience—has become the central obstacle to renewal. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Monday that he would not vote to reauthorize Section 702 with Pulte in office. Democrats object to Pulte’s appointment, citing concerns that he has used his position to investigate prominent Democrats on allegations of mortgage fraud, including Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Senator Adam Schiff, and former Representative Eric Swalwell. All have denied wrongdoing.
On his way out of the Capitol for the meeting, Johnson declined to directly answer whether he would ask Trump to withdraw Pulte’s nomination. “It’s the president’s prerogative,” Johnson told reporters. “I’m going over there right now to visit with him and his team about a number of items.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Johnson is at the White House “to finalize this agreement on FISA.”
Johnson noted that the House passed its FISA reauthorization in April and is waiting for the Senate to move. “They’re working on another compromise bill,” Johnson said. “We’ll pass what they send.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Tuesday that Trump is “weighing seriously” naming a permanent nominee to serve as director of national intelligence, suggesting the White House may be reconsidering Pulte’s appointment as a way to break the impasse.
The partisan clash is increasing the possibility that Congress will pass another short-term extension rather than a long-term reauthorization. “It’s important that that program does not go dark on Friday when it expires,” Scalise said. “FISA has been used time and time again to stop terrorist attacks here on our homeland on American soil, and that’s a critical, critical tool that we need to renew.”
Current Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced her resignation last month due to her husband being diagnosed with a rare cancer. She will remain in the job until June 30, creating the vacancy that Pulte was tapped to fill on an acting basis.
Sources
- The Hill — Speaker Johnson meeting with Trump amid FISA struggles over Pulte appointment, Johnson’s statement on presidential prerogative
- ABC News — Trump and Johnson meeting at White House to finalize FISA deal, details on Pulte’s investigations, Gabbard’s resignation announcement
- Politico — Trump not expected to act on Pulte after Johnson meeting, Senate negotiations on FISA
- Reuters — US lawmakers warning Pulte appointment could thwart surveillance law renewal
- Brennan Center for Justice — Section 702 expiration date and surveillance framework details
- Intelligence.gov — Section 702 authorization for targeted intelligence collection of foreign targets
