Over a dozen libertarian-leaning Republicans successfully blocked a bill backed by House Speaker Mike Johnson that would have renewed a controversial government surveillance program.
The program, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), fell short just hours after former President Donald Trump posted the following message on Truth Social: “KILL FISA, IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME AND MANY OTHERS.”
Ultimately, 19 Republicans opposed House Republican leadership to block the procedural vote arranged by Johnson, which would have allowed the House to debate the legislation and vote on it. (RELATED: Freedom Caucus Leader Attacks Last-Minute Funding Deal)
Republican supporters of the compromise legislation, the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act, argued that it added safeguards to limit access to information collected under Section 702 and would prevent abuses like those reported against Trump.
The proposed bill would have also criminalized unauthorized access to U.S. citizens' data.
However, conservative critics and the former president argued that the reforms didn't go far enough.
Among the GOP lawmakers who blocked the bill were: House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good, R-Va.; Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.; Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.; Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La.; Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas; and Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont.; among others.
The fight has put Johnson in a difficult spot between the House Judiciary Committee and its allies, and the U.S. intelligence community and national security hawks in Congress. The former have cast Section 702 as a tool of exploitation and privacy infringement, while the latter have maintained it's a narrowly-focused tool critical to preventing terror attacks.
Section 702 is a provision that allows the federal government to conduct warrantless surveillance of a foreign national outside the U.S. if they're suspected of ties to terrorism — even if the person on the other end of the communications is an American citizen.
The House Judiciary Committee backed an amendment that would force U.S. officials to seek a warrant before querying communications made by an American, which national security-minded Republicans have largely opposed.
If Congress does not renew FISA Section 702, it will expire on April 19.
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