Senate Approves 77-Day Extension of FISA Court’s Surveillance Powers

Reporters ask questions as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) walks to the Senate floor at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on March 16, 2020. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The Senate on March 16 agreed to a 77-day extension of a set of FBI surveillance tools under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that had expired March 15, to allow lawmakers time for further negotiations on necessary reforms to the powerful domestic eavesdropping program that saw wiretapping of individuals in the Trump campaign.

The measure, which extends and updates domestic surveillance rules under FISA, is retroactive to March 14. It must still pass the Senate and requires the signature of President Donald Trump before it can become law.