Conservative FISA revolt poses fresh test for Speaker Johnson
A brewing fight over privacy rights and national security will come to a head in the House of Representatives in the coming weeks, shaping up to be the latest test...
By Fox News · Fox News
A brewing fight over privacy rights and national security will come to a head in the House of Representatives in the coming weeks, shaping up to be the latest test for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and his razor-thin GOP majority. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is set to expire on April 20 pending congressional reauthorization. A planned vote on a "clean" extension of the measure this week, however, has been delayed amid a growing rebellion. A vast swath of lawmakers, along with the intelligence community, have argued the provision is critical to preventing another Sept. 11-style terror attack. But privacy hawks in Congress — a mix of conservatives and progressives — say it gives the federal government too much power to spy on private U.S. citizens. "This is a privacy issue," Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. "It's a very important tool, don't get me wrong, against terrorists. But you cannot, in my mind, continue to warrantlessly surveil U.S. citizens that don’t have an immediate nexus or tie to some terrorists." GOP RIPS FISA COURT FOR TAPPING EX-BIDEN ‘DISINFORMATION’ LAWYER TO ADVISE ON SURVEILLANCE Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., argued to reporters after a classified briefing on FISA last week, "There have been countless terrorist attempts that have been stopped because of the FISA process." "The administration's been very clear how important this process is to keeping Americans safe at home. It's why they've requested the renewal," Scalise said. "It was created after September 11th. We surely don't want to go back to a Sept. 10 mentality. A pre-Sept. 11 attitude, where we just hope that nothing bad happens." Section 702 is a provision that allows the federal government to conduct warrantless surveillance of a foreign national outside the U.S. if they’re suspected of ties to terrorism — even if the person on the other end of the communication is an American citizen. The Trump administr…