Senate passes 45-day FISA extension
Source: The Hill
04/30/26 3:19 PM ET
The Senate on Thursday passed a 45-day extension of the nation’s warrantless spy powers, rejecting a longer House-back proposal and teeing up continued debate over how to reform the program. In turning to a 45-day extension, the Senate rebuffed a House package passed Wednesday that included modest reforms but failed to include the warrant requirement demanded by privacy hawks on both sides of the aisle. The House will have to pass the Senate bill for the 45-day extension to begin. FISA 702 was set to go dark on April 30.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) had previously called the House bill “dead on arrival” as it included an unrelated provision that would bar the Federal Reserve from establishing a central bank digital currency. He described the extension as an opportunity to continue discussions over reforms.
“At this point we’ll be able to proceed and allow for additional time and consideration so that we can come to an agreement that hopefully in this body and the House can agree upon to to reauthorize the FISA program and I think there’s a discussion going on about reforms to that,” he said on the Senate floor on Thursday.
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) allows the government to spy on foreigners located abroad. Critics want to add a warrant requirement before the government can look at communications from Americans swept up as they talk with foreign targets under surveillance. If the House adopts the Senate proposal, FISA will now be renewed through June 15.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5857966-congress-reconsiders-surveillance-reforms/
SUMMARY - THE SENATE REJECTED MIKIE'S FISA BILL (a 3-year extension) AND PASSED THEIR OWN (a 45-day extension). The House would have to revote, this time on the Senate extension or the whole thing goes away after midnight tonight.