US surveillance law set to expire for the first time

The US House of Representatives failed to extend the government's warrantless surveillance law by Friday, almost guaranteeing the law will lapse. The bill received 218 votes in favor and 198 against, failing to reach the two-thirds majority required for passage. According to Politico, the next vote is scheduled for June 23. This is reported by Techcrunch.com reports .

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), specifically Section 702, allows US intelligence agencies to collect vast amounts of data to identify foreign hackers, spies, and terrorists. For years, both Democrats and Republicans have considered this procedure vital for national security. However, disagreements over reforming the law have stalled the process in recent weeks.

The situation was further complicated by Donald Trump's nomination of Bill Pulte as acting Director of National Intelligence. Pulte's lack of experience in the intelligence sector raised concerns among many lawmakers. Democrats warned that Pulte's presence in this role poses a greater threat to national security than the expiration of the law.

On Thursday, the administration withdrew Pulte's nomination and proposed Jay Clayton instead. However, by the time this decision was announced, many congressmen had already left for a one-week recess. As a result, the possibility of a last-minute deal to save the FISA law has virtually vanished.