The House of Representatives rejected an attempt to extend a critical surveillance program set to expire on Friday. It comes as Democrats continue to argue against President Donald Trump’s decision to appoint Bill Pulte, a mortgage agency director, as acting director of National Intelligence.
The vote failed 218-198, with 19 Republicans joining nearly all the Democrats in the House voting against the extension.
The vote means Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Act will lapse for the first time in history.
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President Donald Trump is standing by his decision to install Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, and Congress now finds itself trying to extend a critical surveillance program while lawmakers from both parties question the choice.
The White House is seeking a short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which expires Friday. Republican leaders are pushing for a temporary patch to buy time, but support that existed only days ago has started to splinter over Trump’s insistence that Pulte move into the intelligence post later this month.
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Trump defends his choice
Trump used a Truth Social post Wednesday to accuse Democrats of turning national security into a political fight.
“Just like they did on Border Funding, the Radical Left Dumocrats are trying to take our National Security hostage because of unrelated issues,” the president wrote.
Trump said Pulte will assume the role June 19 while he continues searching for a permanent nominee. He also said he wants Pulte to begin shrinking the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and return personnel to their home agencies.
Pulte currently leads the Federal Housing Finance Agency and oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He has never worked in intelligence or national security, a fact that has become increasingly difficult for administration allies to defend as they try to gather votes for a FISA extension.
Democrats draw a line
Democrats who have previously supported Section 702 are now linking any extension to Trump’s handling of the intelligence post.
House Intelligence Committee Democrats, led by Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, called on Pulte to undergo a full security review before gaining access to the nation’s most sensitive intelligence.
“Never has a person with so little experience or understanding had at their fingertips the sources and methods of the intelligence community,” lawmakers wrote in a letter to Trump.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made clear earlier this week that Pulte’s appointment has changed the political landscape around FISA.
Many Democrats who have traditionally voted to preserve the surveillance authority now have “deep skepticism” about extending it while Pulte remains Trump’s choice to oversee the intelligence community, Jeffries said.
“Then Donald Trump as he often does, tosses a hand grenade into those sensitive negotiations by elevating Bill Pulte as the director of national intelligence,” Jeffries said. “Someone who’s a political hack, a malignant clown and he’s woefully unqualified to serve in any position in the federal government.
GOP leaders search for votes
Speaker Mike Johnson announced plans for a House vote Thursday on a short-term extension that would keep Section 702 alive into July while the White House works through its search for a permanent intelligence chief.
Johnson and other Republican leaders have argued that concerns about Pulte should not determine the fate of a surveillance program they view as essential to tracking foreign threats.
The challenge was that resistance was no longer confined to Democrats. Some Republicans remained uneasy about Pulte’s appointment, while others continued pressing for changes to FISA’s warrantless surveillance provisions before agreeing to any extension.
Friday deadline approaches
Until last week, Senate leaders were working toward a three-year renewal.
That effort stalled after Trump’s announcement. Seven Republicans joined Democrats in blocking advancement of the legislation, forcing leaders in both chambers to pivot toward a short-term extension instead.
Trump has made clear he is not backing away from the appointment.
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