CIA Director John Ratcliffe and FBI Director Kash Patel testified Thursday before the House Intelligence Committee in support of an 18-month "clean" extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, warning that the authority, which expires April 20, provides more than half of the actionable intelligence used by the commander-in-chief, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
Ratcliffe said he wished for a longer reauthorization, while Patel said he'd prefer five to 10 years.
The push puts Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in an awkward spot; she introduced legislation to repeal the authority in 2020 but now says she supports the president's decision.
House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to bring the measure to the floor next week despite opposition from hardline Republicans and progressive Democrats who want a warrant requirement added.
A coalition of privacy and civil liberties groups warned Thursday that extending the law without changes is dangerous as AI capabilities rapidly expand, arguing the statute hasn't kept pace with technology that enables "invasive surveillance at unprecedented scale."
Ratcliffe said he wished for a longer reauthorization, while Patel said he'd prefer five to 10 years.
The push puts Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in an awkward spot; she introduced legislation to repeal the authority in 2020 but now says she supports the president's decision.
House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to bring the measure to the floor next week despite opposition from hardline Republicans and progressive Democrats who want a warrant requirement added.
A coalition of privacy and civil liberties groups warned Thursday that extending the law without changes is dangerous as AI capabilities rapidly expand, arguing the statute hasn't kept pace with technology that enables "invasive surveillance at unprecedented scale."
