Senate push to reauthorize nation’s spy powers stumbles over controversial Trump decision

By Fox News · Fox News

The Senate failed to move one step closer to extending the nation’s spy powers amid brewing consternation against President Donald Trump's pick to lead the nation’s intelligence agencies. Nearly every Senate Democrat, and six Senate Republicans banded together to block a procedural hurdle to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in the wee hours of Friday morning. The stumble comes as the deadline to make a move on the spy powers next week rapidly approaches. What would have likely been a bipartisan vote was marred by Trump's pick to oversee the nation’s intelligence agencies as Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Bill Pulte. CONGRESS EXTENDS CONTROVERSIAL SPY LAW FOR 45 DAYS AFTER SENATE REJECTS HOUSE BILL Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., argued that Congress couldn’t "afford to go dark" by not reauthorizing FISA, and hoped that Senate Democrats could have a change of heart on the matter next week when the upper chamber returns. Complicating matters for Thune is that, given Republicans who outright dislike the program, he will need Democrats to reauthorize FISA. "We need some help from Democrats, obviously, and I think it's a terrible irresponsible position that they've taken," Thune said. "But we'll find out if that changes. Pulte currently serves as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and was tapped by Trump earlier this week to fill in for ex-DNI Tulsi Gabbard, who exited the position last month. HOUSE PASSES FISA RENEWAL IN BIPARTISAN VOTE, PUTTING PRESSURE ON SENATE BEFORE LOOMING DEADLINE The choice left Republicans scratching their heads, and elicited fury among Democrats. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, warned that Democrats wouldn’t support reauthorizing FISA if Pulte were in charge. "I don't see how you get the necessary Democrat votes… that would get them to 60," Warner said. Lawmakers are concerned because Pulte has no experience in the intelli…