20 GOP Rebels Sink FISA Extension Plan

The House early Friday approved a short-term renewal until April 30 of a controversial surveillance program used by US spy agencies in a post-midnight vote after Republicans revolted and refused President Trump's push for a longer extension. GOP leaders rushed lawmakers back into session late Thursday with a series of back-to-back votes that collapsed in dramatic failure, before they quickly pushed ahead the stopgap measure as they race to keep the surveillance program running past Monday's expiration date, the AP reports.

• First they unveiled a new plan that would have extended the program for five years, with revisions. Then they tried to salvage a shorter 18-month renewal that Trump had demanded and Speaker Mike Johnson had previously backed. Some 20 Republicans joined most Democrats in blocking its advance.

• Shortly after 2am, they quickly agreed to the 10-day extension, which was agreed to on a voice vote without a formal roll call. It next goes to the Senate, which is gaveling for a rare Friday session, as Congress races to keep the surveillance program running. "We were very close tonight," said Johnson after the late-night action.
• But Democrats blasted the middle-of-the-night voting as amateur hour. "Are you kidding me? Who the hell is running this place?" said Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern during a fiery floor debate. "Does anybody actually know what the hell is in this thing?" he asked.
• 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.

• US 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.
• Trump and his allies had lobbied aggressively all week for a clean renewal of the program, without changes. "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. He said that while parts of FISA had been "illegally" used against him in investigations and could be in the future, he is "willing to risk the giving up of my Rights and Privileges as a Citizen for our Great Military and Country!"
• In 2024, when Joe Biden was president, FISA was reauthorized for two years instead of the normal five, with Republicans voting 126-88 in favor and Democrats 147-59.