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BBC News1 min read
US Congress passes short-term renewal of Fisa warrantless spying powers
TL;DR
The US Congress has approved a 45-day extension of warrantless spying powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Ongoing disputes among Republicans hindered a longer renewal, with lawmakers expressing concerns over potential abuses of the surveillance program.
Key points
- US Congress passed a 45-day extension of FISA powers
- Section 702 allows warrantless spying by intelligence agencies
- Internal Republican conflicts hindered a longer renewal
- Lawmakers raised concerns over surveillance abuse
- Negotiations for reforms are ongoing
The US Congress has passed a 45-dayextension of a law that grants US intelligence agencies warrantless spying powers.
Bitter infighting over section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in the Republican wing of Congress has repeatedly tanked conservative leaders’ plans to renew the controversial surveillance law for multiple years. The deadlock continued on Thursday, as the Republican House speaker Mike Johnson refused to include key reforms pushed by hardliners in his party and progressive Democrats.
In remarks before a final vote in the House, lawmakers opposed to a long-term extension of section 702 again called on Johnson to consider their concerns about how the surveillance program is abused to spy on Americans.
“We’re willing to give you 45 more days for us to negotiate this thing if the Speaker will actually sit down with us,” said US congressman Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, who has rallied against an extension of the program with no changes. “We can make this happen if we’re willing to get rid of all the chaos and the pandemonium we’ve seen over the last several days and simply sit down and have a meaningful conversation and write the legislation.”
Hardline Republicans across the aisle who took issue with section 702 welcomed Raskin’s remarks as they too expressed their fears about how the program surveils Americans’ communications. “Fisa databases have been used to query political activists, members of Congress and their staff, random romantic interests of FBI agents, and we’re being told, ‘Oh, don’t worry, it’s not being abused any more,” said Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky.
The contentious vote marks the second time this month that Congress’s inability to agree on Fisa’s renewal has led to a short-term extension. The law expires without being reauthorized; the most imminent deadline was midnight on Thursday. Section 702 was originally set to lapse on 20 April, but Congress passed a stopgap measure to extend the surveillance program by 10 days after disagreements over an extension with no substantive changes. The decision to punt the issue a few weeks suggests those differences are unlikely to be resolved soon.
Section 702, first enacted in 2008, allows national security agencies to collect and review texts and emails sent to and from foreigners living outside the US, without a warrant. If an American is talking to a non-American target living abroad, their communications can get swept up too. Privacy advocates say that while the law is intended to surveil foreigners outside the US, the federal government uses this loophole to spy without warrants on Americans, an unconstitutional practice. Intelligence agencies say they need these surveillance powers to prevent terror attacks. A warrant requirement to surveil Americans’ communications is the most pressing demand from privacy advocates and lawmakers worried about section 702’s reauthorization. Republican leadership has so far dismissed these concerns.
Q&A
What is the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act section 702?
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows US intelligence agencies to conduct warrantless surveillance on foreign targets, but it has faced criticism for potentially infringing on the privacy of Americans.
Why did Congress only pass a short-term extension of FISA powers?
Congress passed a short-term extension due to internal conflicts among Republicans, with some lawmakers demanding reforms to address concerns about the misuse of surveillance powers.
Who opposed the long-term extension of the FISA surveillance law?
Opposition to the long-term extension came from both progressive Democrats and hardline Republicans who raised concerns about the program's potential abuse against American citizens.
What are the implications of the 45-day extension of FISA powers?
The 45-day extension allows for continued warrantless surveillance while providing time for lawmakers to negotiate potential reforms to address concerns about privacy violations.
