House OKs short-term renewal for surveillance program

Legislation that would provide a 10-day extension for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has been approved by the House, representing a setback for President Donald Trump and House GOP leaders, who had sought an 18-month renewal, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had attempted to advance a five-year extension with limited changes for the program. The proposal failed, along with a separate vote blocking a proposed 18-month renewal. Lawmakers ultimately green-lit a short-term renewal for continued negotiations. The Congress has been previously notified that the nation's intelligence court had renewed the surveillance program for another year. This allows the National Security Agency to continue collecting electronic communications through March 2027 even if a long-term reauthorization is not completed.

Section 702 allows intelligence agencies to gather communications involving foreign targets without a warrant, though it also captures data of an unspecified number of Americans. It was last renewed in 2024.