By Raphael Satter, Moira Warburton, David Morgan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Donald Trump urged Congress on Wednesday to end the controversial U.S. domestic surveillance program, complicating prospects for a proposed overhaul that could soon be voted on in the House of Representatives.
The former Republican president said Congress should not renew elements of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, set to expire April 15, that allow law enforcement to scan vast mountains of data collected by the U.S. intelligence apparatus without first obtaining approval from a judge.
These provisions are opposed by hard-line Republicans and left-wing Democrats who say they give the government too much power to spy on its citizens. They are pushing to seek court approval for access.
Last year a US court ruled that the FBI incorrectly searched the database 278,000 times over several years. Trump, who is running to win back the White House from Democratic President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 election, said the law was used illegally to spy on his campaign, without providing evidence. “IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME AND MANY OTHERS,” he wrote on social media.
Trump has enormous influence among his party’s lawmakers. His opposition scuppered a bipartisan deal on immigration earlier this year.
FBI and Justice Department officials say the program has been crucial in drug trafficking cases, foreign cybersecurity threats and cross-border crimes.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday that officials would “blind themselves” if they had to go to a judge before using the data. “I can assure you that none of our opponents are holding back or tying their hands,” he told the American Bar Association.
The bill’s supporters responded with superficial reforms that would leave the underlying bill essentially unchanged.
Its prospects appear uncertain. The revised bill was withdrawn twice despite bipartisan opposition in the House, which Republicans control by a narrow 218-213 majority.
However, it passed the House Rules Committee by a 9-2 vote Tuesday night, paving the way for a full House vote as early as this week.
In a news conference Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the revised version but did not say when he would bring it to a vote.
“These reforms would effectively eliminate the abuses that allowed spying on President Trump’s campaign,” he said.
Trump has been at odds with US intelligence agencies since the FBI investigated his 2016 presidential campaign for possible links to Russian intelligence. The Justice Department concluded in 2019 that Trump’s campaign did not coordinate with Russia, but also found that he directed officials to obstruct the investigation.