House Republicans confront fight over FISA reauthorization

CNN —

House lawmakers are returning to Washington to a contentious issue this week – an effort to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a major and controversial law that allows warrantless surveillance of foreigners but also sweeps up the communications of American citizens.

House Republicans have been fiercely divided over how to handle the issue, putting pressure on Speaker Mike Johnson to find a path forward amid competing factions within his conference. With the threat of a vote on his ouster looming, the Louisiana Republican’s every move will be under even more intense scrutiny, and the speaker may find himself once again at odds with his right flank.

The law as it stands allows the US intelligence community to collect the communications records of foreign persons based overseas, but it also allows the FBI to search the data it collects for Americans’ information in what critics have called a “backdoor” search.

The complicated politics surrounding the law have long united strange bedfellows: Some conservative Republicans have joined forces with progressive Democrats to push for reforms to the authority, while security-focused Democrats and Republicans have opposed major new restrictions.

The major sticking point is whether the FBI should be required to obtain a warrant before querying the database for information on US citizens.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson arrives at the US Capitol on Wednesday, March 13.

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Johnson has announced the House will take up a FISA reauthorization bill this week. The bill, introduced by GOP Rep. Laurel Lee of Florida