The House on Thursday rejected a plan to extend key surveillance powers from Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) amid a standoff over President Donald Trump's appointment of Bill Pulte as Director of National Intelligence.

The House voted 218-198 against an extension of the spy powers, which allow for the warrantless surveillance of foreigners abroad, Politico reported. Section 702 has long faced scrutiny from privacy hawks over the possibility that the Intelligence Community may gather information on Americans in the process. Trump endorsed an extension amid the ongoing Iran war.

With Section 702 set to expire on Friday night and the House not planning to vote again on the matter until later in the month, a lapse, albeit a temporary one, appears a near-certainty.

Opposition to an extension comes as Democrats worry over Pulte's appointment. The Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA) chief has no experience in intelligence and lawmakers worry that his appointment signals an interest from the White House in using the office to target political opponents.

Democratic lawmakers have sought to use Section 702 as leverage against the Trump administration, while some Republicans have opposed the measure for other reasons. Nineteen Republicans voted against the measure on Thursday.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.