WASHINGTON — The U.S. Congress passed a 45-day extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on Thursday, continuing warrantless surveillance powers used by national security agencies through June 12, 2026. The House of Representatives sent the measure to President Donald Trump for approval after the Senate cleared it earlier in the day by unanimous consent.

The House approved the short-term extension in a 261-111 vote, with Democrats joining the Republican majority. It was the second temporary extension this month, following the inability of lawmakers to agree on a long-term reauthorization. The House had previously passed a three-year extension of the program, but additional time was sought to negotiate a final agreement.

Section 702, enacted in 2008, allows national security agencies to collect and review texts and emails sent to and from foreigners living outside the United States without a warrant. Communications of Americans can be collected under the law if they communicate with a non-American target abroad. Surveillance under Section 702 can continue through March 2027 via year-long certifications approved by a special federal court, even if Congress does not extend the statute.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to include reforms to Section 702 sought by hardliners in his party and progressive Democrats. Representative Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, urged Johnson to negotiate reforms before extending the law and offered a 45-day window for those negotiations. In 2024, an amendment to add a warrant requirement to Section 702 failed in a 212-212 tie vote. House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, who previously called for a warrant requirement to prevent abuses of Section 702, last month called for a clean extension without amendments. Jordan said it is important for the government to understand what bad actors are planning to do to citizens and the nation.

Trump has repeatedly urged Republican holdouts to align with party leadership in support of renewing the program, saying the surveillance program is crucial to protect the military and Americans at home from foreign terror attacks. On April 15, he posted on Truth Social advocating for renewing Section 702 with no changes. "I am willing to risk the giving up of my Rights and Privileges as a Citizen for our Great Military and Country!" Trump wrote. He has also accused the FBI of misusing Section 702 to spy on his 2016 presidential campaign.