House Republican leaders have delayed the initial vote to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) after scrambling to rally enough support among party members.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had attempted to push through a procedural rule vote on Wednesday to set up debate on renewing Section 702 of FISA. President Trump urged House Republicans to unite and pass a “clean extension” of the controversial provision, but he canceled that scheduled procedural vote as holdouts pushed for late-stage amendments on warrant requirements—or other unrelated issues—as conditions for allowing the bill to move forward.
A leadership source confirmed the procedural vote was called off.
“We would have to amend it on the floor or in committee,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas).
Initially, a notice from the Democratic Whip’s office indicated legislative action on FISA could occur Wednesday. However, by early afternoon, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) stated that any action on FISA would likely not happen until Thursday and not in a vote series scheduled for late Wednesday night.
“We’re still working through some final pieces of what could hopefully be an agreement that gets it done,” Scalise said.
Section 702 permits the government to spy on foreigners located abroad but can sweep up communications of Americans who speak with targets being surveilled. Critics argue any information collected on Americans should only be accessed with a warrant.
FISA Section 702 expires on April 20.
House Republicans have numerous members critical of the provision. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) stated: “Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights are not for sale. I urge Congress to pass FISA Section 702 reforms to close the loophole that allows the federal government to purchase citizens’ private data.”
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) added: “I vote with GOP 91% of the time, but that’s about to go to 90%. I won’t vote to let feds spy on you without a warrant. FISA 702 allows the government to search for your information in vast databases compiled while targeting foreigners.”
Conservatives are vowing to vote no on the procedural rule vote, where Speaker Johnson can afford to lose only two members.
It is not immediately clear whether GOP leadership will still hold a vote on the rule later Wednesday.
Conservative lawmakers are demanding an amendment vote on warrant requirements. Johnson has previously stated that such additions would make the program “unworkable.”
Despite these tensions, GOP leadership and the Trump administration are showing new openness to compromise as talks intensify. If leadership agrees to allow a vote on warrant requirements, holdouts would accept an even longer extension of the program through the rest of Trump’s term.
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told reporters Tuesday: “I’m for the clean [extension], but I’m open to whatever gets it done.”
An amendment on warrant requirements failed on a tie during the 2024 FISA reauthorization effort.
