House extends surveillance powers until April 30 after late-night revolt sinks GOP plan

Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern kicked off a fiery floor debate late Thursday by asking, “Does anybody actually know what the hell is in this thing?

“Are you kidding me? Who the hell is running this place?” said McGovern.

At the center of the standoff that has stretched throughout the week is Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which permits the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI and other agencies to collect and analyze vast amounts of overseas communications without a warrant. In doing so, they can incidentally sweep up communications involving Americans who interact with foreign targets.

U.S. officials say the authority is critical to disrupting terrorist plots, cyber intrusions and foreign espionage.

Its path to passage has teetered all week in a familiar fight, as lawmakers weigh civil liberties concerns against intelligence officials’ warnings about national security risks.

“There are a lot of opinions,” Johnson said earlier Thursday. “We want to make sure that we have this very important tool for national security, but we also do it in a way that jealously guards constitutional rights.”

Trump and his allies had lobbied aggressively all week for a clean renewal of the program. A group of Republicans traveled to the White House on Tuesday, and on Wednesday CIA Director John Ratcliffe spoke directly with GOP lawmakers. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Thursday there had “been negotiations late into the night with the White House and some of our members.”

“I am asking Republicans to UNIFY, and vote together on the test vote to bring a clean Bill to the floor,” Trump wrote on Truth Social this week. “We need to stick together.”

Joey Cappelletti And Lisa Mascaro, The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press

House extends surveillance powers until April 30 after late-night revolt sinks GOP plan

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