What happened
Nineteen House Republicans helped vote down a procedural measure necessary for the reauthorization of a key portion of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, leaving Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in the lurch. The insurgent GOP effort came after former President Donald Trump urged Republicans to “KILL FISA,” claiming it was “ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME.” Reauthorizing the foreign spying bill has long been contentious — particularly Section 702, which allows intelligence agencies to collect information on Americans without a warrant as part of surveillance on foreign citizens.
Who said what
When Trump “puts out a statement like that, people get scared,” Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) told The Wall Street Journal. Lawmakers will vote “no” to avoid “getting grilled” in their home districts over the weekend. “We can’t allow a critical tool like this to just expire and go out of use,” Johnson said, adding that his FISA bill tries to strike a balance between “liberty” and “security.”
The commentary
The defection of 19 Republicans on Wednesday’s vote is the fourth time in Johnson’s short tenure that the House has defeated a rule vote, handing the speaker and his leadership team another “major embarrassment,” CNN said.
What next?
Section 702 will expire on April 19 without congressional action.