House Speaker Mike Johnson Introduces New Three-Year Reauthorization Bill for FISA Section 702

On April 23, 2026, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) unveiled a bill to renew Section 702 of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for three years. The proposal follows two defeats—an 18-month extension and a five-year renewal—both rejected for leaving the warrant-less search of Americans’ data unchanged. Johnson’s draft keeps authority but adds two tweaks: the FBI must submit monthly explanations of Americans’ communications reviews to an oversight official, and the law creates criminal penalties for willful abuse. Section 702 expires April 30, and the bill seeks to preserve surveillance without altering its core structure.

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Section 702 authorizes the collection of electronic communications from roughly 350,000 foreign targets. Because many of those targets correspond with U.S. persons, the database routinely includes Americans’ calls, texts and emails, fueling privacy concerns.

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Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he would “risk the giving up of my Rights and Privileges as a Citizen” to keep the program, arguing it “protects our troops overseas and our people here at home.” Johnson’s office described the bill as a modest adjustment that adds oversight while preserving intelligence capabilities. House Republican leaders announced that the Rules Committee will meet on Monday to begin moving the measure forward.

Speaker Johnson Proposes New Bill to Extend US Spy Powers

Privacy advocates argue the bill fails to address the core issue of warrantless searches. Elizabeth Goitein called it “a straight reauthorization with eight pages of words that serve no serious purpose.” Representative Jamie Raskin warned that it “continues the disastrous policy of trusting the FBI to self-police.” Representative Scott Perry added that “we can’t have them spying on American citizens… I haven’t seen any accountability I’m satisfied with yet.” Some Republican hard-liners also voiced reservations about the lack of robust safeguards.

Mike Johnson Proposes Revised Bill to Extend U.S. Spy PowersSpeaker Johnson Proposes New Bill to Extend US Spy PowersNPR

• “I am willing to risk the giving up of my Rights and Privileges as a Citizen for our Great Military and Country,” — Donald Trump, former President

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• “There's not a lot of really substantive changes to the statute, but some gestures are made to people who are worried about privacy and civil liberties,” — Glenn Gerstell, former NSA counsel

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• “This is not a reform bill and it's not a compromise,” — Elizabeth Goitein, Brennan Center senior director

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• “[The bill] continues the disastrous policy of trusting the FBI to self-police and self-report its abuses of Section 702 and backdoor searches of Americans' data.” — Jamie Raskin, D-MD Rep.

Mike Johnson Proposes Revised Bill to Extend U.S. Spy Powers

The House Rules Committee is scheduled to meet Monday, and the bill will move toward a floor vote. Future debate will focus on the effectiveness of the new oversight provisions and the chances of securing bipartisan support.

Mike Johnson Proposes Revised Bill to Extend U.S. Spy Powers