A federal surveillance law called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) expires in 11 days, Congress is gridlocked, and Congressman Keith Self (R-TX) has had enough.
"FISA expires on June 12th. Congress MUST stop the warrantless surveillance of American citizens. GET A WARRANT. PROTECT THE FOURTH AMENDMENT," Self posted on X, voicing the frustration of a growing faction of Republican privacy hawks on Capitol Hill.
At issue is Section 702 of FISA, a powerful tool that allows intelligence agencies to collect communications of foreign targets, but which critics say too often sweeps up the private data of American citizens without a warrant.
Rep. Self and other conservatives are demanding that any extension of the law include an explicit warrant requirement before Americans' communications can be accessed, as well as a permanent ban on central bank digital currencies.
However, reaching a deal has proven difficult, and the clock is ticking.
Time is Running Out
Congress returns from recess with a packed and contentious agenda. Senate Republicans left Washington last week empty-handed after an immigration enforcement funding package collapsed over a proposed $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization fund," money that would compensate people who claim they were unfairly investigated or prosecuted under the Biden Justice Department.
Many Senate Republicans balked, worried the fund could end up paying out Jan. 6 rioters, including those convicted of assaulting police officers. The dispute blew past President Donald Trump's self-imposed June 1 deadline for passing the bill.
The twin failures have left Republican leaders in a difficult spot. Both Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) are managing razor-thin margins and must bridge not only divisions within their own chambers but disagreements between the House and Senate, a recipe for gridlock at a moment when the party had hoped to rack up legislative wins ahead of the midterm cycle.
The backlog doesn't end there. A House-passed farm bill and housing bill are also waiting on Senate action, and a potential third budget package covering Iran funding, defense spending, and healthcare remains uncertain.
For Self, the FISA deadline is the most urgent problem, and the answer, he says, is simple: get a warrant.
