Congress has only two months to make a crucial decision about the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a law at the center of Edward Snowden's leaks. The law, which allows for warrantless surveillance of Americans, is set to expire on April 20.
Both parties have been jockeying over FISA, but the Trump administration has taken a particularly hands-off approach. Despite being asked about FISA reforms during a confirmation hearing, President Donald Trump's nominee to serve as National Security Agency director, Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd, dodged the question.
The White House claims it is working behind the scenes on FISA reform, but its lack of transparency has led to criticism from Democrats. Even Republican lawmakers are concerned about the administration's silence on the issue.
The law in question allows for "backdoor" searches of a massive database of foreign intelligence gathered by the NSA. Critics argue that this provision undermines civil liberties and requires a court-approved warrant before conducting such searches.
Democrats who voted for FISA two years ago are now under pressure to support a warrant requirement, while Republicans who supported reforms during Biden's presidency may flip back to supporting sweeping powers for the executive branch.
The fate of FISA is uncertain, with some lawmakers suggesting that Congress may try to "kick the can" on reform. The Intercept has long covered authoritarian governments and the erosion of democracy, and understands the importance of press freedom in defending against such threats.
As the deadline for renewing FISA's Section 702 approaches, it remains to be seen whether the Trump administration will take a firm stance on reform or continue its efforts to erode civil liberties.
Both parties have been jockeying over FISA, but the Trump administration has taken a particularly hands-off approach. Despite being asked about FISA reforms during a confirmation hearing, President Donald Trump's nominee to serve as National Security Agency director, Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd, dodged the question.
The White House claims it is working behind the scenes on FISA reform, but its lack of transparency has led to criticism from Democrats. Even Republican lawmakers are concerned about the administration's silence on the issue.
The law in question allows for "backdoor" searches of a massive database of foreign intelligence gathered by the NSA. Critics argue that this provision undermines civil liberties and requires a court-approved warrant before conducting such searches.
Democrats who voted for FISA two years ago are now under pressure to support a warrant requirement, while Republicans who supported reforms during Biden's presidency may flip back to supporting sweeping powers for the executive branch.
The fate of FISA is uncertain, with some lawmakers suggesting that Congress may try to "kick the can" on reform. The Intercept has long covered authoritarian governments and the erosion of democracy, and understands the importance of press freedom in defending against such threats.
As the deadline for renewing FISA's Section 702 approaches, it remains to be seen whether the Trump administration will take a firm stance on reform or continue its efforts to erode civil liberties.
if theyre not gonna take a stand on it then whats the point?
which is super frustrating because who knows what kinda surveillance will happen when they don't do anything about it? i mean we need to make sure our civil liberties aren't getting trampled. also why is it so hard for them to agree on this? it's not like fisa is a new law or something... 
I'm really worried about this whole FISA thing... like, what if they actually just ignore the calls for reform and keep doing whatever they want with all that intel? It's not fair to Americans who have no idea what's happening behind closed doors. And those "backdoor" searches? 
. You know, I've been meaning to get some fresh air and catch up on some books instead of getting caught up in all the news drama. But anyway, back to FISA... have you ever noticed how hard it is to find a good pair of hiking boots that's not too pricey? Like, I swear, it's like they're trying to rob us blind! 
Anyway, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens with FISA. Maybe they can come up with something better than just kicking the can down the road... 
. Where are the sources on these claims? The Trump administration is being super tight-lipped about what they're doing, and it's making a lot of people nervous 
. I think we need to see some concrete evidence before we can start talking about whether or not FISA reform should be happening at all 
. Can someone please get me some more info on this? 
. It seems like the US government is playing with fire when it comes to surveillance powers and civil liberties are literally at stake 
. The lack of transparency from the Trump administration is super sketchy, you know? 
They're basically saying "we've got this under control" but honestly, we need more oversight not less 
.
. We need to make sure that our government is serving us, not controlling us 
... that's just not right.
. And on one hand, I get why Democrats are pushing for a warrant requirement - it's all about protecting our civil liberties and stuff 
. Can't Congress just have a straightforward discussion about this instead of playing it so cool 
?
. I mean, think about it, a law that basically allows for warrantless surveillance of Americans, and no one's really pushing back against it 
. Both parties are just playing politics, using FISA as a pawn to get ahead in the next election 
. The Trump admin's approach is super sketchy 
Civil liberties are already super fragile in this country - do we really need FISA to make it worse? 
. I guess only time will tell if Congress figures out what's really going on and makes some real changes 
.
. I'm glad The Intercept is covering this because someone needs to keep an eye on our leaders and make sure they're not abusing their powers. I hope Congress actually does something about FISA before it expires – we can't just keep kicking the can down the road 
. It's time for some real reform! 
The Intercept's been saying these same things for years, and ppl still haven't done anything about it. Maybe its time to get some real action happening? 
.
. Can't wait to see what happens next... or not 
.
. It's crazy how two parties were fine with this law in the past, but now suddenly everyone wants reform 
. And don't even get me started on the whole "backdoor" searches thing - it sounds like something out of a dystopian novel! 
It's crazy how quickly politicians can flip their stance on issues, right? Like, some Democrats who supported FISA 2 years ago are now being pressured into wanting warrants, while Republicans who were all for reforms under Biden might be backtracking now 
). The Intercept is always on top of these issues and I'm sure they'll be keeping a close eye on this. I just hope Congress doesn't try to "kick the can" on reform and that they actually do something to protect civil liberties 
. We need to make sure our government isn't trampling on our rights, you know? 