President Donald Trump asked Congress on Wednesday to pass a short-term extension of a major spy powers program that’s set to expire this week after his appointment of Bill Pulte as interim intelligence director helped derail a longer reauthorization.
The request comes after Republicans urged the White House to name a permanent director of national intelligence to free up the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, which expires Friday. House Speaker Mike Johnson returned to the White House on Wednesday to discuss the bill, after meeting with Trump a day earlier about naming a permanent intelligence chief.
“I am asking Congress to send me a short-term extension of FISA to provide time for the selection and confirmation of a permanent Head of the Agency,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump did not back away from his decision to put Pulte in the acting role, saying Pulte will still take over on June 19. But he also said he is looking for a permanent nominee “with experience in National Security.”
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“He’s going to be there for a short while, while we pick somebody else. We’re interviewing five different people, they’re all very good, very different, and we’ll put somebody there, but people want it downsized,” Trump told reporters Wednesday in the Oval Office as he signed into law the bill boosting immigration enforcement funding.
Senate Democrats blocked a longer reauthorization last week over Pulte’s appointment. Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has no intelligence background and has drawn criticism from Democrats and some Republicans.
Johnson said Wednesday that he plans to put a short-term extension through July 2 on the House floor Thursday morning.
The bill will be considered under suspension of the rules, meaning that it will need support from two-thirds of the House to pass. That would require a significant number of Democrats to vote in support.
Many in House Republican leadership do not expect the bill to pass. Clearing the votes required to pass on suspension will be very hard, people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity told NOTUS. And Democrats do not plan to back the measure in the House, either.
“Under no circumstances should we move forward with an extension of surveillance authority as long as Bill Pulte, who’s deeply unqualified, is on track to being the acting director of intelligence,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters Wednesday.
A short-term extension does not appear to have much support on the Hill.
“I’m not sure there are votes there,” Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Wednesday.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) said he opposes the idea, though he was not speaking for the Democratic caucus.
Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called a short-term extension “so messy” on Tuesday.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Wednesday that the extension would depend on “what the traffic will bear.” He said he heard a three-week extension is being discussed as an option.
FISA allows intelligence agencies to target foreigners overseas, but it has drawn concerns about privacy because Americans’ communications can be swept up and later searched without a warrant.
Reauthorizing FISA faced difficulties, even before the fight over Pulte. Lawmakers had failed to reach a long-term deal earlier this year amid pushback from privacy hawks, and Congress instead passed a 45-day extension to give negotiators more time.
Trump defended the program as essential to national security.
“FISA 702 is very important to our Military, and keeping the American People safe, especially during the World Cup and America250 Celebrations,” Trump wrote. “If nothing is done, this important Law will expire this week.”
This story was updated to include Thursday’s expected House vote.
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