Surveillance reauthorization stuck amid Trump's Pulte pick

WASHINGTON - Congress spent another day stalled on the renewal of a key surveillance authority Tuesday, as President Donald Trump declined to help clear a legislative path and instead dug in on his temporary choice in Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence.

Lawmakers and the White House are sliding closer to the deadline Friday when statutory authority expires for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the U.S. government to collect digital communications of foreigners located outside the country.

The program already has generated controversy because it also sweeps up the communications of Americans and allows the FBI to search through data without a warrant, using information such as an email address.

Although Trump has said Pulte wouldn't be in the DNI role permanently, congressional Democrats have demanded a permanent replacement be named before they move on FISA, amid concerns about his qualifications and loyalty to the president.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., visited the White House on Tuesday morning to discuss FISA and said the Senate was working on a "bicameral, bipartisan solution to extend FISA." Johnson would not discuss details about his meeting with Trump.

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said Tuesday afternoon that "the best way to unlock this" is a long-term DNI being named by the White House. "I'm aware that conversations are going on about Mr. Pulte," Schatz said.

On Tuesday evening however, Trump posted on social media that Pulte "will be taking over as Acting Director of National Intelligence on Friday, June 19th."

Democrats have raised concerns over Pulte's lack of intelligence experience as well as his past referrals of some of Trump's perceived foes to the Department of Justice for mortgage fraud allegations as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. There are also questions of how long he would remain in the acting position.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said FISA "is not doomed as long as the president is willing to change his mind about nominating someone who is wildly unqualified to hold this position. If the president insists on Bill Pulte being our Director of National Intelligence, I don't know how there's the votes from both parties to proceed."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., slammed Democrats for continuing "to try and link" Pulte and FISA, and he pointed to the United States soon hosting both the World Cup and 250th anniversary celebrations in the coming weeks.

"It would be alarming under any circumstance, but it's especially alarming now," Thune said. "You've got a program that has a proven record when it comes to keeping this country safe that is at risk because Democrats here in the United State Senate have decided to vote against it."

But Thune said Tuesday afternoon they were "encouraging" Trump to make a selection beyond Pulte to unstick FISA.

"I think that getting some certainty and closure on that issue, about who that might be, will certainly play an important role in unlocking the support that we need to get FISA done," Thune said.

Even if the Pulte issue was resolved, there remain questions about what Congress would proceed to ahead of the Friday deadline.

Some lawmakers are seeking a short-term extension, given the ticking clock. Others are more confident in the long-term, bipartisan reauthorization that was struck between Senate Intelligence Committee heads Republican Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Democrat Mark Warner of Virginia, and Judiciary Chairman Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, and that was announced pre-Pulte.

"This is a FISA reauthorization that includes reforms put in the House that have been added to by the Senate, all of which will make the program, we think, stronger, and should have broad bipartisan support on the floor," Thune said.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., wouldn't say Tuesday whether House leadership was pushing for a short- or long-term extension, but said he would vote to "make sure FISA is renewed."

Some privacy hawks are still seeking further changes than what was offered by the Senate's agreement, with a bipartisan and bicameral coalition also threatening to doom a speedy reauthorization of the program.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said that there will be a group fighting for further changes, such as a warrant requirement for certain situations.

"If enough of us fight and fight for the right reasons, we could force them to put a warrant requirement for spying on Americans," he said.

Coons dismissed concerns Democrats would sink a long-term extension if their Pulte-related concerns were met.

"I think there's enough of us who are willing to support Section 702," he said.

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(John M. Donnelly, Ryan Tarinelli and John T. Bennett contributed to this report.)

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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 7:15 PM.