House Approves Three-Year FISA Court Extension

A group of both Republican and Democratic lawmakers is addressing the expiration of FISA court warrants set for tomorrow. These warrants allow foreign intelligence investigations to access American communications collected under Section 702. There is bipartisan support to use this expiration to close the data broker loophole. This loophole involves the government practice of purchasing American data to evade constitutional and statutory privacy protections. The secret FISA court has been extended for another three years following a multi-hour debate. The court allows the government to conduct surveillance on citizens if good cause is shown. Under this authority, the FBI can monitor Americans without a warrant through various devices. The decision comes after discussions regarding whether to let the program expire or extend it. House has approved a three-year extension for a federal surveillance program that was scheduled to expire this Friday. The extension includes new oversight measures, specifically a monthly civil liberties review. However, lawmakers did not include a requirement for warrants in the approved extension. Speaker Mike Johnson commented on the decision.