Congress Extends Section 702 Surveillance Authority for 45 Days
Summary
Congress extended Section 702 for 45 days. Senate Intelligence leaders committed to seek declassification of a FISC opinion within 15 days amid reported compliance concerns and ongoing debate over reforms.
Key points
- The Senate and House approved a 45-day extension of Section 702, hours before its expiration.
- Section 702 authorizes warrantless surveillance of foreign targets; their communications can include Americans, whose identifying information may be used to search the database.
- Senate Intelligence leaders agreed to seek declassification of a FISC opinion within 15 days, after Sen. Ron Wyden withheld consent to the extension.
- Wyden said the court had found major compliance problems; the opinion reportedly accompanied the program’s annual recertification.
- The Justice Department is appealing a FISC ruling that restricted certain tools for analyzing communications.
- The extension gives lawmakers more time to discuss reforms after a House-passed three-year reauthorization stalled in the Senate.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Congressional extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
- Impact
- Congress extended Section 702 for 45 days, preventing an immediate lapse in warrantless surveillance of foreign targets. The surveillance can include communications with Americans, and intelligence officials can search the database using Americans’ identifying information. The extension provides more time for negotiations over reforms amid reported compliance problems and a Justice Department appeal of a FISC ruling restricting certain analytical tools. Senators also committed to seek declassification of the related FISC opinion.
People
Donald TrumpPresident who, according to the article, sought a clean 18-month reauthorization of the surveillance powers.John ThuneSenate majority leader who said the extension would provide more time for discussion of reforms and that the House-approved digital-currency provision would not advance in the Senate.Mark WarnerTop Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee who agreed with Tom Cotton to send a letter seeking swift declassification of the FISC opinion.Ron WydenSenator who sought declassification of the FISC opinion and withheld consent to the short-term extension until Senate Intelligence Committee leaders committed to request its release.Tom CottonSenate Intelligence Committee chairman who agreed with Mark Warner to send a letter seeking swift declassification of the FISC opinion.