House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La,), Freedom Caucus members and other FISA-skeptical lawmakers went to the White House this morning for a briefing on reauthorizing the surveillance authority, four sources told Axios.
Why it matters: Johnson may not have the votes to pass a clean extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act — a must-pass bill the White House is pressing to renew.
- GOP leaders and President Trump are pushing hard for an 18-month reauthorization.
- But conservatives are demanding changes, putting Johnson in a familiar bind when it comes to getting the rule passed.
Driving the news: Members received a briefing Tuesday night on Capitol Hill that got heated, as conservatives demanded warrant requirements be added to the bill.
- "I just think we've got to continue to protect the Fourth Amendment, and that's my position at this point," Rep. Mark Harris (R-N.C.) told Axios on Wednesday.
The other side: Johnson has argued that changes made to FISA during the 2024 reauthorization are sufficient, and that adding warrant requirements would be "unworkable."
- "It's a very important tool to keep Americans safe, and it's not something to play around with," Johnson told reporters Tuesday.
- "It will be fine," House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said Wednesday, referring to Congress reauthorizing FISA.
