In the background of the failures around the reflecting pool and the Iran war agreement, Republicans see another pending disaster on the horizon.
President Donald Trump has asked Republicans to jam through the "SAVE Act," even if that means they will sink the crucial reauthorization of the spying bill known as FISA. The SAVE Act stands for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act.
FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, was established to ensure there is a mandated legal process for Americans who come under the physical and electronic surveillance of the U.S. government. Section 702 has become a larger question because it allows for warrantless surveillance of foreign targets that can also result in the collection of Americans' communications.
The Hill reported on Friday that Republicans are feeling "dismay" amid the president's deal with Iran that appears to be already falling apart.
In a separate report, lawmakers made it clear that combining FISA with the SAVE Act was "dumb."
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) didn't seem optimistic, saying that attaching the SAVE Act might work, but he called it "a Hail Mary."
He added, Trump “doesn’t seem to understand the Senate.”
There's a good reason to mention the Senate. Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told Punch Bowl News on that it would be "unrealistic" to try and attach the two.
Trump has implied he's willing to veto legislation if he doesn't like what the legislature passes.
“I certainly would hope if we can get FISA off the floor, he would sign it," Thune said.
Rep. Tom Massie (R-Ky.) made it clear that he's a "no" on renewing the 702 piece of FISA.
“Why would we let the government spy on us in exchange for anything? After we trade the Fourth Amendment for parliamentary advantage, what shall we trade the First and Second Amendments for?” Massie wrote on X, calling it "dumb."
It presents a problem because Speaker Mike Johnson would need near-unanimous support from his party. If Massie is a "no" Johnson may not have the votes.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) has been a longtime advocate of the SAVE Act, writing, “No Save America. No FISA.”
Other Republicans are the opposite. Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calf.) said that it was downright "unacceptable" that FISA was allowed to lapse in the first place.
"This program is critical to our intelligence collection and national security, and you know, when it comes to the national security, safety of the American people, we need to put partisanship aside,” said Rep. Kiley.
“It’s already dragged on far too long. We had a short-term renewal, now it’s lapsed. This is just another example of the dysfunction of Congress that the American people are so frustrated with, and that now is putting the national security of our country at risk,” Kiley added.
