Senate Pushes Through Short-Term Extension Of Spy Tool Beloved By Deep State

The Senate passed a short-term extension of the surveillance court bill on Friday as Republican House lawmakers remained firm on their demands for warrants and safeguards against abuses.

The brief extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s (FISA) Section 702, which runs until April 30, passed the Senate by unanimous voice vote, according to Axios. The move came hours after the House also agreed to the extension by unanimous consent Friday morning after House GOP hardliners sank a clean five-year FISA extension overnight.

“We were very close tonight,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters after the bill failed, according to The Hill. “There’s some nuances with the language and some questions that need to be answered, and we’ll get it done. The extension allows 🇺🇸US the time to do that.”

Section 702, which has been the centerpiece of negotiations over FISA, allows intelligence agencies to collect and share any foreign communications that could be a risk to national security, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Because data can be collected without a warrant, Americans’ communication can also be monitored under the provision, the Brennan Center for Justice