Grassley Demands FISA Contingency Plan as Deadline Looms
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is pushing the State Department to prepare for a potential lapse in a critical surveillance program, as partisan fighting over President Trump's new intelligence pick threatens to derail its reauthorization before Friday's deadline.
Grassley and Cotton Press Rubio for Answers
Grassley, alongside Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday urging the administration to plan for a possible gap in foreign intelligence collection. The program in question, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, expires at the end of the week.
The Republican senators asked Rubio to identify intelligence targets where the United States might lose valuable information and to find alternative lawful methods for collecting that intelligence. They also called on the White House to draft an executive order if necessary to address any gap left by the program's expiration.
“Identify all intelligence targets on which the United States may lose valuable intelligence information [and] determine alternative lawful and constitutional intelligence-collection methods,” the senators wrote.
Democrats Target Trump's Intel Pick
The push for a contingency plan comes as Democrats ramp up attacks on President Trump's appointment of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. Pulte previously led the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
Connecticut Representative Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called Pulte's appointment the worst and most dangerous of Trump's picks during a Sunday interview on “Face the Nation.”
“He doesn't have an iota of national security experience and the president is putting him in this most sensitive of roles,” Himes said.
Himes argued the appointment has effectively killed any chance of reauthorizing Section 702 before the deadline, claiming Democratic support for the program has collapsed in response to Pulte's placement.
What Section 702 Actually Does
Section 702 allows U.S. intelligence agencies to conduct warrantless surveillance of foreign targets located outside the United States. National security officials have long called the program essential for stopping terrorist attacks, foreign espionage, international drug trafficking and cyber threats against American infrastructure.
Congress has already passed two short-term extensions to keep the program alive, but the Senate blocked another extension last week amid growing concerns about the warrantless surveillance of American citizens.
House Bill Stalled Over CBDC Measure
In April, the House passed a three-year extension with 42 Democrats voting in favor. However, the bill stalled in the Senate because of an unrelated provision that would prevent the Federal Reserve from creating a central bank digital currency.
Himes claimed that at least half of those Democratic votes are now gone due to the Pulte appointment. He suggested the only solution is for Trump to withdraw the nomination and replace Pulte with someone who would give both parties more confidence.
For Iowa voters, the stakes are clear. Grassley's proactive approach signals that Republicans are serious about maintaining national security tools while also addressing constitutional concerns. The question now is whether Congress can find a path forward before the clock runs out on Friday.