House Speaker Johnson Proposes FISA Renewal Amid Republican Opposition

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana introduced a bill on Thursday to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The proposal comes one week after 20 Republicans voted against a prior version of the bill, preventing its passage.

Section 702 allows the U.S. government to conduct surveillance on foreign nationals outside the United States, which can incidentally include communications with American citizens. Two years ago, Trump posted on social media, “KILL FISA, IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME AND MANY OTHERS.

” Johnson's current stance aligns with the majority of Republicans favoring renewal.

Opposition from Republicans Rep.

Thomas Massie of Kentucky has been a prominent critic of the renewal. m. would have allowed unconstitutional spying on Americans, and that opponents stopped both. He noted that lawmakers were given two more weeks to address issues with FISA. Other Republicans who voted against the prior bill include Reps.

Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eric Burlison of Missouri, Michael Cloud of Texas, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Andy Harris of Maryland, Mark Harris of North Carolina, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Keith Self of Texas, Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee, Mary Miller of Illinois, Paul Gosar of Arizona, John Rose of Tennessee, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Victoria Spartz of Indiana, Sheri Biggs of South Carolina, and Eli Crane of Arizona.

In 2018, then-candidate Trump posted on X that the Mueller probe was based on a fake dossier improperly used in FISA court for surveillance of his campaign. The FBI obtained a FISA warrant to surveil Carter Page, a Trump campaign advisor, based on the Steele dossier, which was later discredited.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky expressed concerns in a 2021 Senate hearing with then-FBI Director Christopher Wray, stating he supported FISA standards for non-U.S. citizens but not for Americans, especially those running for office.

Trump's Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, has reportedly raised concerns about renewing Section 702 without reforms. The provision is scheduled to expire on April 30, with ongoing debates in Congress about potential reforms or extensions.