House rejects last-minute extension for key FISA spy power amid Bill Pulte uproar [View all]
Source: CBS News
Updated on: June 11, 2026 / 10:36 AM EDT / CBS News
Washington — The House on Thursday defeated a last-ditch effort to extend a key spy authority until early July, after President Trump's pick for director of national intelligence rattled lawmakers. The authority, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, is set to expire Friday. Congress has twice punted on the issue since the original deadline in April.
The measure to push back the deadline to July 2 failed to clear the House in a 198 to 218 vote. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, fast-tracked the measure, meaning it needed a two-thirds majority for passage. Mr. Trump upended a bipartisan compromise to renew Section 702 for three years when he announced his decision last week to appoint housing regulator Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. In the role, Pulte will oversee all of the nation's spy agencies.
Democrats said they would not support a renewal with Pulte installed at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. They cited his lack of a national security background and his controversial tenure at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, during which he accused several of Mr. Trump's foes of mortgage fraud. The choice also elicited pushback from some Republicans.
In a statement ahead of the vote, House Democratic leadership said Pulte's appointment is in "defiance" of the law that requires the intelligence chief to have national security experience and they "cannot in good conscience vote for reauthorization without significant reforms" to the FISA statute.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-vote-extension-fisa-702-spy-power-bill-pulte-uproar-trump/
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