On Wednesday, the GOP-led House blocked the advancement of a bill that sought to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) for five years and implement reforms on the controversial spy tool.
The vote tanked a rule to bring the legislation up for consideration, creating a major setback for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who vouched for the bill after former President Donald Trump urged lawmakers to reject the spy program used to monitor non-U.S. citizens abroad.
Nineteen Republicans voted against moving forward. The final tally was 193-228. What leadership will do next is not immediately clear, but it is possible lawmakers will go for another extension with no reforms. They have until April 19 to reauthorize Section 702 before it sunsets.
Many of the lawmakers who opposed the bill demanded the addition of a warrant requirement for government…
