House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) announced Thursday that he and his fellow House Democrats are not planning to provide House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) with enough votes to advance a vote on government surveillance authorities, which might help the Republican leader overcome an impasse on the matter.
For months, lawmakers have deliberated whether to extend certain government surveillance authorities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), including a provision known as Section 702 that allows warrantless searches of Americans’ digital communications. These surveillance authorities have attracted bipartisan criticism and efforts to require government authorities to obtain warrants before proceeding with domestic surveillance efforts.
