Overview

• House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has agreed to a temporary reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), extending unchanged access to the surveillance tool into April 2024.
• The decision, which reverses Johnson's previous stance, has sparked criticism from privacy advocates and some members of his own party.
• Section 702 allows for warrantless surveillance of foreigners located abroad, but also collects communications from Americans in contact with these targets, raising privacy concerns.
• Two competing House bills propose hefty reforms to Section 702, but disagreements exist over the extent of these reforms and the requirement for warrants.
• Despite the backlash, Johnson has promised to hold full House votes on reform proposals next week.