US EditionTrump urges extending foreign surveillance program as some lawmakers push for US privacy protections
Trump says the renewal is vital to military operations and national security, as critics push warrant requirements and limits on data broker access.
- On Tuesday, Trump announced support for an 18-month renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, reversing his past opposition and stating the program is "extremely important to our military."
- The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act permits agencies to collect overseas communications without a warrant; Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, a former critic, now supports the program after being tapped to coordinate the nation's 18 intelligence agencies.
- Foreign surveillance targets increased to nearly 350,000 in 2025, while searches identifying Americans decreased to 7,724; Elizabeth Goitein, senior director at the Brennan Center, said FBI practices are "reminiscent of J. Edgar Hoover's tenure."
- As the program expires Monday, lawmakers debate adding warrant requirements before authorities access American communications, with Sen. Ron Wyden arguing surveillance sweeps up innocent people while Rep. Andy Biggs maintains civil liberties remain compatible with security.
- Rep. Rick Crawford, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, is backing the 18-month extension, though lawmakers face limited time to enact changes before the Monday deadline as Congress weighs intelligence needs against civil liberties concerns.
70 Articles
70 Articles
Conservative obliterates Trump's privacy rights hypocrisy
President Donald Trump once opposed government surveillance — at least the kind he claimed was directed against him. “KILL FISA," Trump wrote on Truth Social in 2024. "IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME, AND MANY OTHERS."But now that Trump can surveil rather than be surveilled, a conservative is calling him out over his surveillance state.“It's been two years and five days since Trump wrote that, but it might as well have been another lifetime,” s…
GOP Not Aligned Going Into Key Vote - Patriot Newsfeed
The fight over renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has exposed a familiar fracture inside the Republican Party—one that pits national security priorities against long-standing concerns about government overreach. At the center is House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is trying to push through a clean 18-month extension of the surveillance authority before the April 20 deadline. Backed by Donald Trump and top intelligence …
Trump urges extending foreign surveillance program
Washington: Congress is set to take up the reauthorization of a divisive program that lets U.S. spy agencies pore over foreigners' calls, texts and emails, with supporters like President Donald Trump saying it has saved lives while critics point to long-standing concerns about warrantless surveillance of Americans.A key provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act permits the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI and other agencies to col…
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