The House cleared a procedural hurdle to approve the renewal of the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Act Friday after multiple failed attempts to advance the legislation, and former President Donald Trump’s push to block the bill.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., are seen on the ... [+]
The House voted 213-208, along party lines, to advance the bill to the floor for a formal vote.
The legislation would reauthorize section 702 of the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Act, set to expire on April 19, that allows intelligence agencies to monitor foreign citizens abroad believed to be a threat to national security.
Friday’s procedural vote comes after Trump earlier in the week urged Congress to “kill” the legislation, incorrectly suggesting section 702 was used to spy on his campaign.
Some conservatives and progressives also opposed the bill, arguing intelligence agencies should be required to obtain a warrant to make the queries, which sometimes turn up communications of U.S. citizens.
The earlier version of the legislation that failed to advance earlier in the week would have reauthorized section 702 for five years, but it was revised to a two-year renewal in order to placate its conservative detractors.
This is a developing story and will be updated.