Trump signs bill extending controversial surveillance powers until April 30


WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Saturday signed a bill extending a controversial surveillance program until April 30, a short-term renewal that sets up another showdown in Congress.

The bill was approved by the Senate on Friday in a last-minute scramble to prevent the authority from expiring within a matter of days. Trump and Republican leaders have pushed for its renewal, calling it a matter of national security. Critics are concerned about its impact on civil liberties.

At the center of the debate is Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which permits the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI and other agencies to collect and analyze vast amounts of overseas communications without a warrant. In doing so, they can incidentally sweep up communications involving Americans who interact with foreign targets.

Extending the program has become a recurring fight.

Trump and GOP leaders have been pushing for a clean 18-month renewal, while the House Republicans on Thursday came out with a five-year extension with revisions to appease skeptics. After both of those bills collapsed, leaders pivoted to the stopgap measure.

Critics want changes including a requirement for warrants before authorities can access the emails, phone calls or text messages of Americans.

Trump signed the bill Saturday without any immediate comment. The authority was set to expire on Monday.

The Associated Press




Source link

  • Related Posts

    Carney lands on Time’s most influential people list for 2026

    Perhaps it was the widely cited speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, or maybe a so-called George Clooney-like swagger. Whatever it is, Prime Minister Mark Carney is finding…

    Not to exaggerate but I think the liberals are just Democrat-style neocons now. Worrying.

    They’re governed by a neoliberal banker who calls himself more Conservative than Doug Ford: ““I’ll never forget when I met him the first time, the first words out of his…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    James Rew: Somerset batter can open for England, says Jason Kerr

    James Rew: Somerset batter can open for England, says Jason Kerr

    Appeals court allows White House ballroom construction to continue for now

    Appeals court allows White House ballroom construction to continue for now

    Spoofed Tankers Are Flooding the Strait of Hormuz. These Analysts Are Tracking Them

    Spoofed Tankers Are Flooding the Strait of Hormuz. These Analysts Are Tracking Them

    Obama and Mamdani meet preschoolers in the Bronx

    Obama and Mamdani meet preschoolers in the Bronx

    Strait of Hormuz closed again, Iran says, as ships attacked

    Strait of Hormuz closed again, Iran says, as ships attacked

    Carney lands on Time’s most influential people list for 2026

    Carney lands on Time’s most influential people list for 2026