Staff Reports
In a late-night meeting on Thursday, the House Rules Committee pushed forward a tweaked version of a major federal surveillance extension, a move that’s put pressure on Republicans to set aside their recent squabbles and pass the legislation before it expires next week. The new proposal to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act will head to the House floor for debate early Friday.
House moves forward with modified FISA bill, but will it be enough to appease hard-liners? https://t.co/Hrh4QVQrJe
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 12, 2024
The altered bill came after 19 Republicans, along with Democrats, voted against a procedural rule that would’ve propelled the FISA reform bill forward, creating a deadlock in the House until a new plan was hashed out. Lawmakers then huddled in closed-door sessions throughout Thursday to work out a backup plan that includes a two-year sunset and a stand-alone vote on an amendment from Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH).
However, it’s still uncertain whether the adjustments will win over the holdouts. Some GOP members are firm on adding warrant requirements in FISA, and the absence of such rules might lead them to reject the procedural rule once more. The rule vote, a procedural step to advance debate and potential amendments, typically passes along party lines, but House conservatives have wielded the procedure several times over the past year to stall action when they clash with GOP leadership.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) explained that some of the reason for voting down the rule was “pressure,” and the lawmakers who opposed it were “pumping the brakes.” Although some members are leaning towards supporting the rule with the new provisions, others remain on the fence or oppose the bill altogether. Could these changes be enough to sway the 19 Republicans who voted against the rule, including Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), and Andy Biggs (R-AZ)? Some say yes, others aren’t so sure.
As for the two-year sunset on FISA and the amendment vote, some initial holdouts like Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) express uncertainty but openness to advancing the rule and beginning debate. Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) is still an emphatic “no” on the FISA bill but is considering the rule with cautious optimism.
The two-year sunset, in particular, could attract Republicans hoping for a potential FISA reauthorization under former President Donald Trump if he wins the 2024 election. But not all Republicans are on board with the changes. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), a former FBI special agent, warned that reducing the reauthorization sunset to two years would be “a mistake” and underscored the critical importance of this national security tool.
Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) remained tight-lipped, declining to say whether he’s had a change of heart on opposing the rule. All in all, it seems that Republicans are wrestling with the revised FISA reauthorization, and only time will tell whether they can rally enough support to push it through the House.
