The House of Representatives on Thursday rejected a bill to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which gives the federal government the power to conduct warrantless surveillance of Americans, and now the spying tool is expected to lapse as its last extension will expire on Friday night. The bill to renew […]

The House vote collapsed in bipartisan fashion, with some Republicans and nearly Democrats rejecting the temporary measure. The Senate may try its own vote later Thursday, but hopes are dimming to prevent what could be an unprecedented lapse in the surveillance tool. The law expires on Friday at midnight.

Friday is the deadline for Congress to reauthorize a key tool for collecting foreign intelligence. Critics on the left and the right argue that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is prone to abuse. Others say they won't back it until President Trump pulls his pick to oversee the intelligence community. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Republican Rep. Mike McCaul of Texas.

A lapse in a law that allows the U.S. to gather intelligence abroad grew more likely on Wednesday as President Donald Trump resisted calls from Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill to immediately name a permanent head of the nation's intelligence agencies.