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President Donald Trump’s plan to expand the government’s warrantless surveillance powers faced minor problems early Friday morning after a group of lawmakers rejected a deal that would have extended the program for five years while including minor changes aimed at appeasing GOP hawks.
Shortly before 2 a.m. Friday, the House of Representatives approved a two-week extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), giving lawmakers until April 30 to reach a deal.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., expressed confidence that his caucus could reach an agreement by the end of the month.
“We were very close tonight. There are subtle things about the language and questions that need to be answered and we will. The extension gives us time to do that,” he said.
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President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The temporary FISA extension came after House GOP leadership was forced to abandon the program’s initial 18-month extension over opposition from conservatives, who want more privacy measures added to the program.
GOP privacy hawks also shot down a compromise deal that would have extended the surveillance law until 2031 while adding tougher criminal penalties for violating FISA searches.
The Section 702 authority allows the government to spy on foreign nationals even if those communications involve Americans. Both conservatives and progressives are pushing for a requirement that would force officials to obtain a warrant before reviewing Americans’ information.
House GOP leadership was scrambling this week to renew the surveillance legislation before an April 20 deadline. When their desired path met stiff opposition on the House floor, they got a two-week extension.
The Senate could pass a short-term extension by unanimous consent starting Friday.
“What we’re trying to do is thread the needle to make sure we have this important tool to keep the American people safe but also protect constitutional rights and make sure that past FISA abuses don’t happen again,” Johnson said early Friday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson attends a news conference following the House Republican Conference meeting at the US Capitol on Jan. 13, 2026, Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The speaker can avoid just two GOP defections during the test assuming all members are present and voting. Although many Democrats supported a clean bill to reauthorize FISA, Johnson could not count on their support during procedural votes because they often voted along party lines.
The Trump administration has argued that the intelligence authority must be renewed to prevent possible terrorist attacks on his home country and that it would be reckless to let the program end amid a conflict with Iran.
“There’s a lot at stake,” CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News during a visit to Capitol Hill in an effort to sell GOP values on a clean slate.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine sent a letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, to Capitol Hill offices outlining the importance of the surveillance tool to national security. Trump has also publicly urged Republicans to “UNIFY” behind his desired clean-up approach to Social Truth.
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House GOP leadership and the Trump administration’s push for clean FISA reforms have been a tough sell for some conservatives. Despite a high-pressure campaign, GOP privacy hawks have remained adamant about including the warrant requirement, which they say will better protect Americans’ data.
“We understand and agree with the president that we need the 702 authority to go after bad people abroad,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told reporters. “We’re fighting for greater protections, whether it’s this administration or future administrations to make sure citizens are protected.”
“People who say we want these changes within FISA, we mean what we say, and it’s not something we’re going to ignore,” said Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., said Thursday.
“We’re constantly threatened … that something terrible will happen, people will die if we don’t reauthorize 702,” Boebert continued. “But many men and women, thousands have died for the Fourth Amendment, and I will continue to stand up and protect that Fourth Amendment for all American citizens.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., speaks to reporters as she leaves the US Capitol the weekend of May 17, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Democrats also dismissed the withdrawal agreement Friday morning as written at the eleventh hour and said the warrant requirement included in the rejected FISA agreement was invalid.
“This just means that they might want a warrant to search. It’s not necessary. They might want a warrant,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., on the FBI. “In other words, this offer makes no sense. It just takes us back to where we were.”
Despite the GOP’s delay, fewer Republicans are opposed to a clean expansion of the 702 program than during previous legal battles over the spy law.
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Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a FISA skeptic, supported a direct reauthorization, citing more than a dozen changes Congress made to the program in 2024.
“2026 is not 2024 and the temporary extension of section 702 of the FISA Act is a welcome outcome for the situation we find ourselves in,” Jordan said Tuesday.
House GOP leadership argues that failure is not an option in preventing the end of the FISA program’s authorization.
“This is an important national security tool,” Johnson told Fox News on Wednesday. “We cannot allow it to expire, and we will not.”
Fox News’ Kelly Phares contributed to this report.
