"The behind-the-scenes push comes as Congress barrels toward an April 20 deadline to reauthorize Section 702, which is itself a perennial source of intraparty tension for the GOP. Even as some Hill Republicans believe that Trump supports a clean extension, others cautioned there are still two months to go and things will remain in flux until the president weighs in publicly - underscoring the fraught nature of the discussion."
"But if Trump embraces the view held by Miller and other administration officials, it would be a major win for the intelligence community and its allies in Congress, who have fretted for months that Trump's stated hatred of the broader FISA law could tank hopes of getting any reauthorization of the warrantless spy provision over the finish line."
"On the other hand, it's likely to be a major problem for Speaker Mike Johnson, a former Judiciary Committee member who frustrated conservative hard-liners in 2024 when he sided with the Intelligence Committee and cast the deciding vote to reject a new policy requiring law enforcement to obtain a warrant before searching for Americans under Section 702 surveillance. GOP leaders are involved in conversations with House Republicans about how to reauthorize the program, but there is not yet a consensus on how to move forward ahead of the April deadline."
Congress faces an April 20 deadline to reauthorize Section 702 amid deep GOP intraparty tensions. Some Republicans expect Trump to support a clean extension, while others warn uncertainty will persist until he speaks publicly. Administration officials and allies in the intelligence community view presidential backing as crucial to salvaging reauthorization prospects, given concerns that broader antipathy to FISA could derail efforts. Speaker Mike Johnson could face backlash from conservatives for previous votes siding with intelligence oversight. GOP leaders lack consensus on procedure, making a straightforward, party-line up-or-down House vote difficult before the deadline.
Read at POLITICO
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