House approves reauthorization of warrantless spy powers

Source: The Hill

04/29/26 5:28 PM ET


The House on Wednesday approved the renewal of the nation’s warrantless spy powers with a 235-191 vote that cleared the chamber with support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

The bill, which would renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), still has to clear the Senate, another challenging hurdle before the powers go dark on April 30.

Section 702 of FISA allows the government to spy on foreigners located abroad, but it has long generated calls to include a warrant requirement before reviewing any information collected on Americans who communicate with overseas targets.

The measure passed by the House Wednesday includes modest reforms to the program, including allowing a larger pool of lawmakers to review information presented to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. It extends Section 702 for three years — longer than the 18-month request initially made by President Trump. But those changes were not enough to win over privacy hawks on both sides of the aisle, a dynamic likely to replay itself in the Senate.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5856102-warrantless-spy-powers-fisa-702/