Video Top GOP leaders say FISA is essential as extension stalls in Congress Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports new developments in the fight to authorize FISA on ‘America’s Newsroom.’
President Donald Trump signed a 45-day extension for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Thursday night after the Senate rejected the three-year extension passed by the House, the White House confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., warned House leaders Tuesday that including a provision in the FISA extension to permanently ban the Federal Reserve from issuing central bank digital currencies (CBDC) would make it "dead on arrival" in the Senate. As Thune suggested, the three-year extension ultimately failed to pass the Senate due to opposition from Democrats.
As a temporary measure, the Senate approved a 45-day extension of the controversial national security law by unanimous consent. Trump subsequently approved the short-term renewal.
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Once the 45-day period ends, Congress will be forced to begin the FISA extension process all over again.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., spoke to the media at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 2, 2026, expressing hope that the White House could find a "sweet spot" in negotiations with Senate Democrats to reopen the government amid ongoing political turmoil. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
FISA allows the federal government to compel phone and internet providers to provide information about foreigners using their platforms without a warrant, including communications with American citizens.
Civil libertarians long have argued that the law undermines the privacy of Americans and potentially violates the Fourth Amendment. Those working in law enforcement and intelligence agencies, meanwhile, maintain that FISA is an indispensable tool in thwarting terrorism, drug trafficking and ransomware attacks.
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Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a member of the House Rules Committee, is pushing for amendments to the three-year FISA renewal bill drafted by House leadership. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
More than 20 Republicans maintained their opposition to the FISA extension, even with the CBDC ban attached.
HOUSE CONSERVATIVES ERUPT OVER SENATE GOP, WHITE HOUSE DEAL AMID SAVE ACT FIGHT
"We should all be standing up for the Fourth Amendment," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said during a debate over the extension Tuesday.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., meets with reporters as House Republicans advance a GOP spending bill to fund federal agencies through Sept. 30 at the Capitol in Washington, March 11, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
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Republican leadership included the CBDC ban to appease conservative holdouts concerned that a government-issued digital dollar could expand federal visibility into Americans’ transactions.
