House Extends Surveillance Program, Faces Uncertain Senate Approval
The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) for three years, with a vote tally of 235 to 191. This program allows U.S. intelligence agencies to intercept electronic communications of foreign nationals outside the United States. The extension now moves to the Senate, where it faces a challenging path to approval before a looming deadline. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., faced significant opposition from privacy-focused Republicans, which previously led to the failure of longer extension proposals. The current extension includes limited modifications, such as requiring federal law enforcement to seek approval from attorneys before reviewing Americans' information and imposing criminal penalties for misuse. Despite these changes, privacy advocates argue that the program still lacks adequate protections for American citizens. 
