House votes to renew FISA spying tool after earlier Republican revolt
House votes to renew FISA spying tool after earlier Republican revolt
Prior to passage, the House failed to adopt a bipartisan amendment to curtail warrantless surveillance inside the U.S. Section 702 of the law expires on April 19 unless it's renewed.
The vote was 273-147 and was overwhelmingly bipartisan, with both Republicans and Democrats voting in favor of the legislation. Of those who supported the legislation, 126 were Republicans and 147 Democrats. It followed a dramatic vote to narrowly reject an amendment that would have required a warrant for surveillance in more situations.
Earlier Friday, the conservative rebels ended their blockade and allowed the bill to move forward after striking a deal with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and his team. Under the agreement, the reauthorization period of the spy powers — known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) — would be cut to two years from the original proposed five years.