A lapse in a law that allows the U.S. to gather intelligence abroad grew more likely on Wednesday as President Donald Trump resisted calls from Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill to immediately name a permanent head of the nation's intelligence agencies. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Trump has doubled down on his temporary pick for director of national intelligence, federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte, even though he has little experience for the job. Democrats say they won't support the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) unless he withdraws Pulte's appointment and nominates a permanent replacement.
The impasse could soon result in limitations on what intelligence the U.S. government can collect abroad just as World Cup games begin in cities around the country and ahead of celebrations for the nation's 250th anniversary. The law expires on Friday at midnight.
Trump on Wednesday asked Congress for a short-term extension of the law but stuck with Pulte as the acting head and said he wants to begin downsizing intelligence agencies. "We can't let them extort us," Trump said of Democrats.
Senate Republicans floated a short-term extension of the law after Trump's request, but it was immediately rejected by Democrats who argued that it's up to the president to replace Pulte. Speaker Mike Johnson announced the House would hold a vote Thursday on a stopgap to keep the program running through July 2 even as the chances of passage appeared slim.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said if Trump wants a shot at a short-term extension, he needs to pull the Pulte appointment. Jeffries called Pulte a "disgraceful individual" and a "partisan political hack."
Congressional Republicans have lobbied Trump all week to quickly nominate a permanent replacement, but he said he needs more time. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Wednesday that Republican leaders have "made our views known" to the White House about the easiest way to get the bill passed.
Trump said on Friday that he is interviewing five candidates for his pick to lead the agency permanently and that all have a national security background. Johnson said Pulte will serve a "very short term — a sort of renovation role."
To unlock votes for FISA, the pick would have to be soon — and Trump's choice would have to satisfy both Republicans and Democrats. One of several possible replacements could be Pete Hoekstra, Trump's ambassador to Canada and a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. The White House has reached out to Hoekstra about the job and conversations are ongoing.
Section 702 of FISA allows agencies such as the CIA, NSA and FBI to collect communications from foreign targets overseas without a warrant. While members of both parties who cite privacy issues have long wanted to limit the authority, there was broad bipartisan support to renew it.