(The Epoch Times)—House Republicans on April 23 unveiled legislation to extend for three years a surveillance authority that permits the collection of communications from non-U.S. persons located abroad without a warrant.
The House Rules Committee released the nine-page bill, which would renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) through April 30, 2029. Section 702 authorizes warrantless surveillance targeting foreign individuals overseas, though critics note that Americans’ communications can be incidentally collected under the program. The proposed legislation does not include a requirement for warrants, despite ongoing calls for such reforms.
The House Rules Committee will look to advance the bill on April 27.
Congress passed a short-term extension of Section 702 on April 17 that expires on April 30.
Under the bill, the comptroller general would be required to submit a report within one year of enactment to key congressional committees, including the House and Senate Judiciary Committees and the intelligence committees in both chambers. The report would present the results of an audit assessing whether current targeting procedures appropriately limit surveillance under Section 702.
The legislation also explicitly prohibits the intentional targeting of U.S. citizens.
Lawmakers from both parties have pushed for additional safeguards, including requiring warrants when querying the communications of Americans that are incidentally collected. However, President Donald Trump has advocated for a “clean” extension of Section 702 without new restrictions.
Trump has argued that the authority is essential for national security, while also criticizing past uses of FISA. He has cited what he described as serious abuses of the law, referencing disclosures that the FBI used FISA authorities during its Crossfire Hurricane investigation into his 2016 presidential campaign.
The president said the military “desperately needs” Section 702 of FISA to support national security efforts, particularly in light of the conflict with Iran.
At the same time, Trump emphasized the importance of maintaining Section 702 in light of ongoing military operations and global threats. He stated that military leaders consider the authority vital for protecting U.S. interests, including troops and diplomats abroad, and for responding quickly to potential threats.
“I have spoken to many Generals about this, and they consider it VITAL. Not one said, even tacitly, that they can do without it—especially right now with our brilliant Military Operation in Iran.”
In April 2024, Congress approved a two-year extension of Section 702, which included 56 reforms aimed at preventing misuse of Americans’ data. That legislation, signed into law by President Joe Biden, introduced stricter rules for accessing the database, enhanced training requirements, higher-level approval for queries involving politically sensitive individuals, and penalties for intentional misuse.
A review by the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General found more than 60,000 noncompliant FBI queries of Section 702 data in 2021.
Joseph Lord and Savannah Hulsey Pointer contributed to this report.
