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Republican senators warn surveillance program may lapse after Trump intel pick backlash

A bipartisan deal to extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act collapsed on Friday after President Donald Trump selected Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, risking a June 12 lapse.
Democrats and several Republicans opposed Pulte, arguing the federal housing finance regulator lacks experience to oversee the nation's 18 intelligence agencies, scrambling traditional partisan alliances.
Sen. Mark Warner questioned why the president would "throw this live hand grenade" 10 days before expiration, while Rep. Michael McCaul warned letting the program go dark before the 250th anniversary would be "most grossly irresponsible."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Section 702 remains one of the nation's most effective tools for identifying threats, as Sen. Tom Cotton and Sen. Chuck Grassley urged Rubio to prepare for a potential significant gap in intelligence collection.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed concern over the pick, saying the nation's top intelligence post should not be "weaponized," yet urged lawmakers to prioritize reauthorization despite the nomination controversy.

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Republican senators warn surveillance program may lapse after Trump intel pick backlash

Senators are warning that a key U.S. surveillance authority could expire this week after bipartisan opposition to President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the nation’s intelligence community derailed an extension effort.

2 hours ago·New York, United States

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