7 Republicans Buck Party And Vote Against Extension Of Warrantless Spying Tool

Seven Republican senators voted against extending a warrantless spying tool set to expire on June 12 in a Friday procedural vote.

The procedural vote to renew the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) section 702, which allows for warrantless surveillance of foreign nationals’ communications data with Americans, failed in a 47 to 52 vote. Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Mike Lee of Utah, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Rick Scott of Florida, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Eric Schmitt of Missouri joined Democrats in voting against it.

Section 702 allows the government to collect and search American citizens’ data without a warrant if they were in contact with targeted noncitizens located outside of the U.S. It facilitates tracking foreign intelligence, cyber threats and terrorism, which often collect Americans’ data in the process.

Lee stated that the reauthorization failed to pass because it did not require the government to obtain a warrant before spying on Americans.

“FISA 702 reauthorization failed because it did not contain a warrant requirement for spying on Americans. The people who spied on the Trump campaign, Members of Congress, and countless other Americans hate the idea. Come back with warrant requirement, and we’ll pass the bill,” Lee said.

President Donald Trump appointing Federal Housing Finance Agency chief Bill Pulte to temporarily serve as the director of national intelligence sparked backlash from both sides of the aisle. Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told