US EditionClassified hearing erupted in frustration as officials refused to say whether Trump wants to renew powerful surveillance law
Senior officials declined to state a Trump administration position on renewing Section 702, a surveillance law aiding counterterrorism and cybersecurity efforts, as it nears expiration.
- During a two-hour classified SSCI hearing last week, agency officials from the FBI and NSA declined to state whether the Trump administration wants Congress to renew the surveillance law, as Sen. Tom Cotton pressed for an official position.
- Section 702 is defended as critical for thwarting terror, stemming fentanyl flows and stopping ransomware, while allowing collection of foreign targets' communications and capturing Americans' data amid FBI misuse.
- Supporters point to operational benefits such as hostage rescues, with Glenn Gerstell warning reforms may limit officials' search ability, calling Section 702 `by far the more important single operational statute in the national security area`.
- With two months left until the statute lapses, some lawmakers described the administration's silence as `nothing short of a dereliction of duty`, and say new reform bills could be introduced soon.
- Political pressure and nomination tensions are adding complexity to reauthorization talks as President Donald Trump and allies have long attacked FISA, and Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence nominee, faced risks from her prior opposition during confirmation processes.
9 Articles
9 Articles
By Evan Perez and Sean Lyngaas, CNN. During a two-hour classified congressional hearing last week, the exasperation of Republican and Democratic senators grew as officials from the FBI, the National Security Agency, and other agencies refused to testify about whether the Trump administration wanted Congress to renew a powerful foreign surveillance law that is set to expire soon, according to two people briefed on the proceedings. This law, Secti…
Classified hearing erupted in frustration as officials refused to say whether Trump wants to renew powerful surveillance law
For two hours inside a classified Congressional hearing last week, Republican and Democrat Senators grew increasingly exasperated as officials from the FBI, the National Security Agency and other agencies refused to say whether the Trump administration wants Congress to renew a powerful foreign surveillance law that is expiring soon, according to two people briefed on the hearing.
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