House Republican leaders have delayed a planned vote to renew key foreign surveillance powers until April, as resistance in both parties complicates passage and raises the prospect of a late scramble before the authority sunsets next month.
Republican leaders had aimed to bring up an 18-month extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act next week.
The provision allows surveillance targeting foreign nationals outside the United States, while also drawing objections from privacy advocates and some conservatives because Americans' communications can be swept up in the process.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had wanted to move the bill before a scheduled two-week recess in early April so the Senate would have time to act. The delay leaves Congress with less room to maneuver as the deadline approaches.
Opposition inside the House GOP has made a clean extension difficult in the chamber's narrow Republican majority.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., has said she would oppose a procedural rule for a clean renewal and has called for changes, including a warrant requirement for Americans.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., has pushed to tie the surveillance vote to the SAVE America Act, a Trump-backed voting measure to secure federal elections.
House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., said minor reforms might be needed if leaders try to move the bill through the usual rule process, and with the margin so tight, only a small number of Republican defections could sink that step.
Leaders could try to bypass that problem by suspending the rules, which would require a two-thirds majority and substantial Democratic support.
But Democrats are also divided.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has not said how he would vote on final passage and has said Democrats would not help Republicans pass a rule.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus has voted to oppose renewal of the warrantless surveillance powers, underscoring the difficulty of building a broad coalition.
Trump administration officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, briefed House members this week as Republican leaders worked to shore up support.
Reuters reported that Johnson and senior intelligence officials are pressing for a quick renewal, while critics continue to argue the 2024 changes did not go far enough.
Johnson has argued that reforms adopted in the 2024 reauthorization addressed earlier abuses. Some past Republican critics, including Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, now say they support a clean extension in light of past reforms.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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