Why this NC Republican helped block extension of intelligence gathering program
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Twenty Republicans, including NC Rep. Mark Harris, blocked the 18‑month extension.
- House first tried a five‑year then an 18‑month extension, both rejected.
- House passed a 10‑day stop‑gap FISA extension giving lawmakers until April 30.
Good morning! It’s Danielle Battaglia with this week’s edition of Under the Dome focused on the Trump administration.
There’s a part of U.S. law, known as Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702, that allows intelligence agencies to surveil non-Americans without a warrant. The law was created in 2008, and was set to expire today.
Supporters say FISA Section 702 is essential for intelligence gathering and counterterrorism. Opponents want to strengthen the law to ensure U.S. citizens aren’t the target of warrantless surveillance.
In the past, Sens. Thom Tillis, a Republican from Huntersville, and Ted Budd, a Republican from Davie County, have been on opposite sides of the issue. If you want to get super in the weeds on the issue, you can read our past reporting here.
On March 9, Budd was appointed to the FISA Reform Commission.
“Throughout my time in Washington, I’ve fought to prevent FISA abuse and politicization, and I previously opposed reauthorizations that did not responsibly address long-standing issues,” Budd told McClatchy in a written statement Friday.
He added that in the last session of Congress, 56 significant reforms were made to FISA Section 702 that are now being implemented. He said those “have already made a real difference in how U.S. persons’ data is handled when incidentally collected.”
But he added more reforms could be necessary.
“That’s exactly why Congress established a bipartisan FISA Reform Commission to conduct an additional layer of oversight and recommend changes so that no intelligence agency or political party in power can violate American’s privacy and civil liberties again,” Budd said. “Given that recent reforms are working, and the serious threats our nation is currently facing, Congress should pass a clean extension of existing Section 702 authorities while the Commission undertakes its work.”
It was clear from the start of the week that getting an extension passed would be an uphill battle due to the small margin between Republicans and Democrats in the House.
And because of that, President Donald Trump was whipping votes, telling lawmakers to pass the extension.
Early Friday morning, House leadership decided to bring the bill to the floor. At first Speaker Mike Johnson attempted to get a five-year extension passed, and when that didn’t work he went for an 18-month extension.
Twenty Republicans, including Rep. Mark Harris, a Republican from Charlotte, broke with their party and voted with Democrats against both extensions.
Harris put out a news release explaining his reasoning that echoed concerns about whether the law would be used against U.S. citizens.
“FISA provides our intelligence agencies with critical tools to monitor foreign adversaries, but it has been stretched beyond its intended purpose and used to conduct warrantless searches of Americans’ data,” Harris wrote in a news release.
Around 2 a.m. Friday, the House passed a 10-day extension, giving lawmakers until April 30 to continue working on the bill. Later Friday morning, in the 10 a.m. hour, the Senate also passed the stopgap bill.
“Following the House’s passage of a short-term extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), Congress now has the opportunity to continue working in good faith to enact reforms that protect our national security without sacrificing the constitutional rights of American citizens,” Harris wrote in a news release.
This adds to the growing list of legislation lawmakers can’t agree on, including funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down for 63 days.
Other stories you won’t want to miss:
- Ex-Fort Bragg employee accused of leaking Army secrets: Whistleblower or threat?
- NC’s Don Davis giving money to charity that Swalwell donated to his campaigns
- Funding expired for tickborne illness bill named for NC senator. Will it be renewed?
- Aviation safety bill passes U.S. House after jet and helicopter collision
- In Charlotte, Kamala Harris calls out Trump’s ‘obviously wrong’ Pope Leo post
- Sen. Thom Tillis: ‘Some staffer should have had a brain’ on Trump’s Jesus image
- Former Virginia politician and wife found dead. What to know about Justin Fairfax
- NC evangelist Franklin Graham defends Trump’s Jesus, pope social media posts
- Democrats in Congress fail to force Iran withdrawal. How did NC’s members vote?
- North Carolina has sued Trump more than 20 times. Here’s how it’s going
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading and supporting local journalism.
Be kind to each other. If you have any feedback or tips for this edition of the newsletter, feel free to reach out to me directly at dbattaglia@mcclatchydc.com.
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