Congressman Mark Harris said on Apr. 17 that the House of Representatives passed H.R. 8322, which extends Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) through April 30, 2026.
The extension gives Congress more time to consider reforms to FISA, a law that allows intelligence agencies to monitor foreign adversaries but has raised concerns about privacy and constitutional rights.
“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,” said Congressman Harris. “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 also said, “A warrant requirement for searches of Americans’ communications is essential to protecting the Fourth Amendment. It ensures this authority remains focused on foreign threats, not the surveillance of American citizens.”
Section 702 was enacted by Congress in 2008 so government agencies could surveil suspected foreign terrorists without traditional warrants. However, over time it has been used more broadly, including queries involving political donors, journalists, commentators, and public officials. In Carpenter v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that federal authorities must obtain a warrant before accessing an American’s location data from cell carriers.
The debate over Section 702 is expected to continue as lawmakers discuss how best to balance national security needs with protections for civil liberties.
