Senate Fails to Advance FISA Reauthorization as Six Republicans Join Democrats in Blocking Procedural Vote

The Senate failed to advance a procedural hurdle to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in the early hours of Friday morning. Nearly every Senate Democrat and six Senate Republicans voted to block the measure. The FISA reauthorization deadline is June 12.

Senate Republican leadership hopes to have a bipartisan bill completed and sent to the House before that date. President Donald Trump selected Bill Pulte as Director of National Intelligence earlier this week. Pulte currently serves as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and was tapped to replace Tulsi Gabbard, who left the DNI post last month.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune argued that Congress could not afford to go dark by not reauthorizing FISA. He said Senate Democrats could have a change of heart next week when the chamber returns. Thune stated that Republicans will need Democrats to reauthorize FISA because some Republicans dislike the program.

"We need some help from Democrats, obviously, and I think it's a terrible irresponsible position that they've taken," Thune said. Sen. Mark Warner warned that Democrats would not support reauthorizing FISA if Pulte were in charge.

"I don't see how you get the necessary Democrat votes… that would get them to 60," Warner said. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she knows what Pulte has been doing in the housing sector but is not familiar with why the president selected him.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer charged that Trump's move to pick Pulte appears to have been a hastily considered backroom deal based on loyalty to Trump, not the security of our nation. "The timing of this announcement could not be worse, with just over a week until FISA 702 authorities expire," Schumer said.

" Section 702 allows the government to spy on foreign nationals abroad, but nothing in the law prevents it from collecting data on Americans if they happen to be involved in those communications.

The current fight over FISA has already led Congress to punt twice on the issue.