Senate Blocks Long-Term Extension of Section 702 Surveillance Authority After Trump Names Bill Pulte as Acting DNI

A procedural vote to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act failed early Friday morning after senators spent the night debating separate immigration legislation. Seven Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in blocking a long-term extension of the surveillance authority.

Section 702 allows the CIA, National Security Agency and FBI to collect communications from foreign targets overseas without a warrant.

The authority is set to lapse on June 12, 2026. The effort collapsed after President Trump selected federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte to serve as acting director of national intelligence. Democrats and several Republicans opposed the selection, arguing Pulte lacks the experience needed to oversee the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies.

“I know how important this tool is. Why the president would throw this live hand grenade of Bill Pulte in 10 days before this is due to expire, I’m not sure,” Sen. ” Warner later stated on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he does not see any path to convincing enough Democrats to renew the program with Pulte in the position.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the naming of Pulte, although the timing was not the best, still should not derail something this important. Republican senators skeptical of Pulte stated he has no national security background. Pulte has been linked with criminal referrals over allegations of mortgage fraud by public officials including New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democratic senator, and Lisa Cook, a board member of the Federal Reserve.

Trump stated last week that Pulte’s position as acting director of national intelligence would only be temporary. Sen. Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Sen.

They stated they believed Democratic leaders would not support another short-term extension and urged Rubio to prepare contingency plans. Cotton and Grassley said Trump should consider an executive order to prevent a disruption in intelligence collection.

Cotton and Warner had said they were close on a bipartisan deal on a long-term extension that could still move quickly should a change occur before Friday.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on social media Sunday that America faces real threats from foreign adversaries, terrorists, cyber actors, and hostile intelligence services. A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately return messages seeking comment Monday about national security concerns if the program lapses.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence referred inquiries to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In 2024 the Senate approved legislation to reauthorize Section 702 by a 60-34 margin after missing its midnight deadline; the legislation was signed by then-President Joe Biden. Republicans will need some Democratic support to pass any extension of the surveillance authority in the Senate.

The bill would likely need to go through the House, and the two chambers have disagreed on a separate issue regarding central banking digital currency.

A Texas Republican representative stated that if Congress goes dark next week, right before the World Cup FIFA games and the 250th anniversary, that would be the most grossly irresponsible thing Congress has done in the representative’s 22 years in office.