WASHINGTON — House lawmakers agreed to send the Senate’s 45-day extension of the controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702 spy to President Trump’s desk, thanks to a shocking number of reps who didn’t vote.
In a 261-111 vote, the House approved the measure under suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds majority. A whopping 58 House lawmakers didn’t vote.
The Senate had voted on the extension earlier in the day, Thursday, via unanimous consent after its leaders declined to take up a House version that would have included a three-year extension paired with a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) ban to win over reluctant libertarian-leaning reps.
FISA Section 702 was set to expire at the end of the day Thursday.
Section 702 lets US intelligence agencies conduct warrantless surveillance on non-Americans. But the program also means that inevitably, the US government will collect phone calls, emails, text messages, and other data from Americans communicating with foreigners.
The Fourth Amendment protects US citizens from “unreasonable searches and seizures” and requires a warrant for such intrusions, leading to heated politicial fights over safeguards every time the legislation comes up for renewal.