The House passed a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) extension Friday after intense lobbying from the Biden administration.
The House passed a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) extension Friday after intense lobbying from the Biden administration overcame opposition that tanked the bill earlier this week.
The two-year extension passed handily 273 to 147. But a high-drama battle over an amendment offered by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) — during which Biden administration officials could be seen racing around the House chamber in an attempt to ensure the amendment’s defeat — dominated the day.
That amendment, which would require a warrant for searching American citizens’ communications, was defeated in a 212 to 212 tie.
The White House lobbied intensely against the Biggs amendment. “Our intelligence, defense, and public safety communities are united: the extensive harms of this proposal simply cannot be mitigated,” an official statement from the Biden administration read.
