House Rules Committee advances revised FISA bill

The House Rules Committee on Thursday approved a rule governing debate on a revised reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act's (FISA) Section 702 after conservatives blocked a procedural vote earlier this week.

Authorization for FISA's Section 702 is set to expire April 19. Conservatives, including former President Donald Trump, have criticized the intelligence community's documented abuse of the surveillance tools authorized in the provision.

While Trump has called to "kill" it outright, some lawmakers have pushed an amendment requiring the intelligence community to obtain a warrant when Americans are involved.

The Rule Committee on Thursday voted 8-4 to approve the rule, setting up an expected Friday vote, The Hill reported. Included in the rule is a vote on an amendment to include the warrant requirement.

Some House conservatives have indicated they will switch their vote to support the plan in light of some revisions. The original measure would have reauthorized Section 702 for five years, a period that the new version has reduced to just two.

Prior to the failed Wednesday vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson signaled his agreement with Trump's contentions that the intelligence community had abused the Section 702 surveillance powers, but stated that "[t]hese reforms would actually kill the abuses that allowed President Trump's campaign to be spied on."

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.