Acting Intelligence Director Pick Prompts Some Senate Democrats to Withdraw Support for FISA Renewal

A procedural vote on renewing a surveillance authority failed after some Democrats objected to an acting appointment. The renewal deadline is June 12. The authority allows intelligence agencies to collect communications of non-U.S. persons located outside the United States without a warrant. Data belonging to U.S. persons can be incidentally collected under the program.

Officials announced that the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency would serve temporarily as acting Director of National Intelligence. Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told Politico that Democrats who previously supported renewal had withdrawn backing.

Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said the acting appointee must be replaced.

A bipartisan group had been working on a three-year renewal before the June 5 vote. The current authorization expires June 12. Officials have described the authority as a tool for identifying foreign threats. The same statement noted that data of U.S. persons is sometimes collected incidentally.