President Trump's pick of Bill Pulte to temporarily lead the nation's intelligence community has put FISA Section 702, a program seen as vital to national security, in political peril.
by CORY SMITH | The National News DeskFILE - William Pulte, then the nominee for Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, testifies at a hearing of the Senate Banking Committee on February 27, 2025, at the Dirksen Senate Building in Washington.
A program that's seen as vital to national security is at risk of going dark at midnight on Friday without an extension from Congress. But President Donald Trump's pick of Bill Pulte to lead the nation's intelligence community on an acting basis has put continuation of the program, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, in political peril.
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters this week that he wouldn’t support an extension of 702 authority as long as Pulte remains acting director of national intelligence, or DNI. Pulte is the head of a federal housing agency with a background in homebuilding and investment, not national security. And his history of generating housing-related criminal referrals against Trump’s political adversaries has stirred objections among Democrats.
“There were already challenges as it related to extending foreign surveillance authority given the refusal by the Trump administration to put into place the type of common sense reforms that would be designed to both promote our national security interests on the one hand and on the other protect the privacy and civil liberties of the American people,”Monday. “The negotiations prior to Trump's announcement with respect to Bill Pulte were already in a very sensitive place.
And then Donald Trump, as he often does, tosses a hand grenade into those sensitive negotiations by elevating Bill Pulte as a director of national intelligence, someone who's a political hack, a malignant clown, and he's woefully unqualified to serve in any position in the federal government, let alone as acting director of national intelligence. ”allows the U.S. government to target non-Americans, reasonably believed to be outside the U.S., for foreign intelligence gathering.
The intent is to guard against terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, cyber threats and the like. , who served 32 years in the intelligence community and now teaches in the School of Professional Advancement at Tulane University, said there are valid concerns about information on American citizens getting swept up in Section 702 surveillance. Incidental collection on Americans inevitably occurs when they communicate with foreign targets, Williams said. The real issue is the FBI searching through the data, Williams added.
There have been documented compliance violations and improper queries, including political figures. Reforms have improved oversight, but past incidents show why continued vigilance remains necessary, Williams said. And he said if Congress allows the Section 702 authority to lapse at the end of the week, new collection authorities would cease. Senate Majority Leader John Thune credited Section 702 for stopping “numerous terrorist attacks” and for playing a role in 90% of the CIA’s synthetic drug disruptions.
The Republican leader blamed Democrats for standing in the way of reauthorizing the program for political purposes. Section 702 authorities expire Friday, after Congress passed an extension for the legislation in April.
“We have a saying around here that if you don't get national security right, the rest is just conversation,”Tuesday. “And that's certainly true with respect to some of the issues that we have in front of us right now. The FISA legislation, which is pending here in the United States Senate, is critical to keeping this country safe and secure for Americans. ” Thune said Republicans are trying to keep 702 reauthorization on track, but they need support from Democrats.
“And I certainly hope that they put the nation's national security interests ahead of their Trump derangement syndrome, which seems to be what's driving the decisions that they're making here on a daily basis,” Thune said.states that anyone nominated for the job must have “extensive national security expertise. ” Williams, the former intelligence officer who now teaches at Tulane, said that experience is vital to effectively running the intelligence community.
But he said Section 702 surveillance powers under FISA were too important to let lapse over the temporary DNI appointment.
“Considering the complexity and potential lethality of the threats the nation faces and the immense value of the 702 program is in combating those threats, intelligence authorities should not become bargaining chips in confirmation fights or petty political squabbles,” Williams said. Thune and Trump said this is a bad time to lose 702 surveillance abilities, with America hosting the World Cup and celebrating its 250th birthday.
Williams also said there’s “no worse time to lose this collection authority” than when the U.S. is in the middle of a conflict with Iran. If Congress lets the program lapse, some operations would be grandfathered and continue into next year, Williams said.
“That creates intelligence gaps on terrorists, nation-state actors, fentanyl networks, and cyber threats — at a time where we have no means to easily replace it,” he said. Viral video shows Spurs fans attacked in Manhattan after win, with one man reportedly kicked, stomped and robbed of his phone. Sen. Roland Gutierrez urges NYC action as police hunt suspects and security plans loom.
San Antonio police have identified 21-year-old Julian Guzman-Clark as the man found shot to death in a vacant North Side parking lot on Vance Jackson. He had multiple gunshot wounds, and the shooter remains at large. White House warns 500+ hospitals, including several in the San Antonio area, to post clear healthcare prices or face fines. Baptist Medical Center Downtown, Kindred, Guadalupe Regional, and Peterson Regional named.
Karmelo Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder on Tuesday. San Antonio committee votes Tuesday on Lennar Homes’ request to clear 134.5 more acres of endangered species habitat at Guajolote Ranch for $612,458, after a prior OK for 229.7 acres and $2.7M.
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