The clock is ticking on a powerful surveillance tool as the White House and Congress remain deadlocked. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows warrantless collection of foreign communications, expires at midnight Thursday. President Donald Trump is set to meet House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday, as pressure mounts to break the impasse.
The dispute centers on acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte, whom Trump has refused to replace with a permanent nominee. Some Republicans believe only a confirmed director can salvage the program's reauthorization. The standoff has stalled legislative progress, with no clear path forward days before the deadline.
Section 702 enables U.S. intelligence agencies to target non-Americans abroad without a court warrant, though it can also sweep up Americans' communications. The authority has been both praised as a critical counterterrorism tool and criticized as a privacy violation. Its expiration would strip agencies of a key surveillance mechanism.
If the law lapses, intelligence operations could face immediate disruption. The House is expected to vote on a funding bill for immigration enforcement, but the surveillance fight remains separate and unresolved. Lawmakers are running out of options as Trump digs in on Pulte.
Critics argue that any reauthorization without stronger privacy safeguards is unacceptable. Civil liberties groups have long opposed Section 702, calling it a breach of Fourth Amendment protections.