Congress approved a short-term extension of a critical surveillance program Thursday, preventing its expiration on Friday as disagreements over a permanent renewal remain unresolved. The Senate cleared the measure earlier in the day, and the House followed suit, sending it to President Donald Trump's desk. The temporary patch extends the program through June 12, giving lawmakers additional time to reach a final agreement on reauthorization terms.
The extension involves a key provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that permits agencies including the CIA, National Security Agency, and FBI to collect communications from foreign targets without a warrant. Trump and intelligence officials have pressed Congress for weeks to renew this authority, but negotiations have stalled over concerns that the program can inadvertently capture American citizens' communications. Critics are demanding a warrant requirement when accessing those communications.
The Senate approved the extension by unanimous consent Thursday. The House passed it with bipartisan support in a 261-111 vote, though the measure faced opposition from some Republicans. Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie, who has advocated for a warrant requirement, opposed the extension on the House floor, saying "a short term infringement of the Constitution is still an infringement of the Constitution."
Representative Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, indicated conditional support for the stopgap measure. "I won't oppose this short extension, but only because it is my fervent hope and determination it will give us the time to work together across the aisle to implement meaningful reforms," Raskin said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged the temporary nature of the solution but expressed optimism about using the extended deadline productively. "I don't like kicking the can down the road. Not my jam. But that's where we are," Thune said. He added that the extension into June would allow Congress to work with the White House on program reforms, stating the goal is to "find something you actually are able to do a long term extension of the authorization with."
The temporary extension follows earlier failed attempts at permanent renewal. Earlier this month, lawmakers approved a short-term extension through April 30 after a chaotic late-night session. House Republican leaders subsequently made progress on a three-year renewal bill, clearing a procedural hurdle Wednesday after persuading several Republican holdouts to support it. However, House leaders added legislation banning a central bank digital currency to the package to secure additional votes. Senate leadership signaled that provision would not advance in their chamber, creating a new obstacle to final passage.
