House Votes to Surveil U.S. Citizens, but Will It Get to the Senate?

On Friday the U.S. House of Representatives passed a measure allowing for warrantless surveillance of citizens.

The provision was part of their reauthorization of Section 702 of FISA, or the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows for ample latitude in monitoring foreign communications to track terroristic threats. However, such reconnaissance catches many U.S. citizens’ interactions as well.

It’s a measure long backed by the Biden administration, but the Republican-controlled House passed the reauthorization by a vote of 273-147. Representatives failed to pass an amendment that would have required authorities to seek a warrant.

The bill will not go directly to the U.S. Senate for a vote, however. Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reported that Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna made a motion that amounts to a “delaying tactic” — a rare procedural maneuver that requires legislators to “reconsider,” or vote again, on Monday to send it to the Senate.