Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act — the law that allows the government to spy on foreign targets overseas, including their communications with Americans — has a looming deadline.
Supporters call it essential to national security. Critics call it “Big Brother.”
‘FISA needs serious reform. Full stop.’
The House Freedom Caucus launched a #DontSpyOnMe campaign, demanding, in accordance with the Fourth Amendment, a warrant before the government can query Americans’ data in Section 702 collection.
Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas), one of the effort’s loudest voices, was blunt on X: “The government has no right to your private communications without a warrant. FISA needs serious reform. Full stop.”
“The Freedom Caucus is America First more than anyone else, as far as I’m concerned,” Self added.
RELATED: The FBI should get a warrant before reading your messages
For most Democrats, the objection isn’t about the law itself — it’s about who Trump tapped to oversee the intelligence agencies involved with it.
On June 2, Trump named Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence — the official who oversees all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. Pulte replaces Tulsi Gabbard, who announced she was resigning effective June 30. Confirmed as Federal Housing Finance Agency director in March 2025, Pulte will hold both roles simultaneously.
When pressed on Pulte’s lack of any intelligence or national security experience, Trump was unfazed. “I think he does, actually, because he’s smart,” he said. “I wasn’t greatly experienced in national security, and I think I’ve done a really great job with it.”
At the FHFA, Pulte referred several anti-Trump Democrats and government officials — including New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), and Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook — to the Justice Department for alleged fraud.
The Government Accountability Office opened an investigation into whether Pulte misused federal authority to do so. As DNI, critics argue, he would have far more power to continue targeting Democrats.
The backlash to his appointment was swift and bipartisan. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) put it plainly: “We don’t need a weaponized DNI. We need professionals there,” and the Senate voted 47-52 against a motion to proceed on the FISA extension, with six Republicans crossing the aisle to kill it.
Punchbowl News reported that Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) privately warned Thune: no Pulte withdrawal, no Democratic votes for FISA.
Trump, for his part, has pushed for a clean extension — but finds himself boxed in on all sides.
Congress has already passed two short-term extensions of the surveillance program this spring — the last one, in April, bought just 45 days.
Something has to give before June 12 — the White House blinks on Pulte, the Freedom Caucus gets its warrant requirement, or Congress slaps on another emergency patch.
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