The House of Representatives has refused to renew a broad surveillance authority for US intelligence agencies, leading to a bipartisan collapse of the effort to temporarily reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The law is set to lapse this Friday at midnight.
The failure of the measure follows intensifying struggles over President Donald Trump’s decision to temporarily place controversial housing official Bill Pulte in charge of US spy agencies. Democratic opposition to Pulte’s intelligence nomination ultimately derailed the effort to extend the surveillance tool.
While the Senate may attempt its own vote later Thursday, hopes are dimming to prevent what could be an unprecedented lapse. The House vote failed as some Republicans and nearly all Democrats rejected the temporary measure.