House GOP Pushes 18-Month FISA Section 702 Extension

House Republican leaders are advancing plans for an 18-month extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a key surveillance authority set to expire on April 20, as they seek to renew the program without additional changes despite opposition from privacy advocates in both parties.

The effort, backed by the Trump administration, comes amid heightened national security concerns, including threats from Iran following recent U.S. military actions in the Middle East. House Speaker Mike Johnson announced Tuesday that he intends to bring a clean reauthorization bill to the floor next week, ahead of a scheduled two-week House recess in early April. The measure would extend the law's provisions, which allow the government to collect communications of non-U.S. persons located abroad without a warrant, for an additional 18 months to allow time for further evaluation of recent reforms.

Section 702, first enacted in 2008, enables agencies like the National Security Agency to compel U.S. tech companies and telecom providers to hand over data on targeted foreigners. While aimed at foreign intelligence, the program often captures Americans' communications incidentally,...