Senate passes short-term extension of surveillance law, following House

Washington — The Senate on Friday approved a short-term extension of a key surveillance tool, hours after the House passed the measure that punts the issue until the end of the month amid GOP infighting. 

The spy authority, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, was set to expire on Monday. The extension approved Friday pushes back the deadline by 10 days, until April 30, as lawmakers try to reach a longer-term solution. 

The Trump administration has pressured Republicans to accept an 18-month reauthorization of the law without any reforms, but the renewal faces stiff opposition from members on both sides of the aisle who have cited a number of reasons that they cannot support it, with warrantless surveillance of Americans at the top of the list. 

“I am willing to risk the giving up of my Rights and Privileges as a Citizen for our Great Military and Country!” President Trump wrote Wednesday as he tried to convince GOP holdouts to fall in line. 

The provision, which was first authorized in 2008, allows the government to collect the communications of noncitizens located outside the U.S. without a warrant, though it can also sweep up the data of Americans who are in contact with targeted foreigners. National security officials have long argued that the law is vital for disrupting terrorist plots, foreign espionage, international drug trafficking and cyber intrusions. 

House GOP leaders delayed floor action on the renewal until this week, despite warnings from conservatives weeks ago that they would not support an 18-month reauthorization that did not include their demands to protect Americans’ privacy. Their opposition led Republican leaders to repeatedly reschedule votes related to the legislation until the early morning hours of Friday. 

After midnight, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, tried to move forward with a proposal that would have extended the law by five years and included modest warrant changes and enhanced criminal penalties for misusing the program. But it was blocked by a dozen Republicans, which led leaders to try and move forward on the 18-month renewal without reforms, a move that was also shut down by 20 Republicans. The saga marked an embarrassing defeat for Johnson. 

The House ultimately passed the two-week extension via unanimous consent after 2 a.m., kicking it over to the Senate, where most members had left town on Thursday as a breakthrough in negotiations appeared uncertain in the lower chamber. 

No senator objected to a unanimous consent request later Friday morning, sending the extension to Mr. Trump’s desk ahead of the Monday deadline.