Democratic revolt over Trump's DNI pick Pulte puts FISA re-authorization in jeopardy

Source: ABC News

June 8, 2026, 4:59 PM


Forty-five days after Congress punted a fight to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune are staring down the new deadline Friday night -- that, if missed, President Donald Trump and intelligence leaders warn could leave the United States without an integral intelligence tool used to thwart terrorism.

But Trump's choice of Bill Pulte for the acting director of national intelligence post has thrown a wrench in momentum to reauthorize the controversial spy program by the end of the day Friday -- creating the possibility that the program's legal authorization will lapse for the first time.

Section 702, which allows the federal government to collect communications of foreigners abroad without a warrant, including when those people are communicating with Americans, has been fully reauthorized by Congress three times since the intelligence tool was created by law in 2008.

"Our Military Patriots desperately need FISA 702, and it is one of the reasons we have had such tremendous SUCCESS on the battlefield," Trump posted on social media in the spring. "It has already prevented MANY such Attacks, and it is very important that it remain in full force and effect." Democrats in both chambers have signaled objections to Pulte -- contending the director of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency does not have any national intelligence experience.

Read more: https://abcnews.com/Politics/democratic-revolt-trumps-dni-pick-pulte-derails-fisa/story?id=133682783