Politics US & Canada

FISA Spying Powers Briefly Extended

FISA Spying Powers Briefly Extended

In a post-midnight session, the House and Senate voted to extend the controversial spy program until April 30.

The brief renewal follows a significant setback for Speaker Mike Johnson, as privacy-minded conservatives joined Democrats to block a longer-term reauthorization.

President Trump had pushed for a clean 18-month extension, but internal GOP divisions over civil liberty protections have stalled progress.

Lawmakers now have less than two weeks to negotiate a compromise that addresses concerns regarding the FBI's use of the program to surveil American citizens.

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
1978 United States federal law
Mike Johnson
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Donald Trump
President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)
United States Congress
Bicameral legislature of the United States