Johnson eyes vote on key surveillance tool next week: Report

House Speaker Mike Johnson is reportedly exploring a vote next week on a bill to revise key surveillance powers of the intelligence community, Politico reported, citing "four people familiar with the discussion."

The final legislation remains unfinished, though lawmakers reportedly aim to unveil it this week and to advance it through the Rules Committee on Tuesday.

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Act (FISA) allows for the warrantless surveillance of foreigners abroad but has attracted scrutiny over intelligence community abuse and the potential to gather American information in the process.

First enacted in 2008, Section 702 was slated to expire at the end of 2023, but divisions among House Republicans prompted House Speaker Mike Johnson to extend the deadline into mid-April.

Both the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees offered competing legislation to revise Section 702 ahead of the December deadline, but Johnson pulled both options. Sources told Politico that the current plans more closely resemble the Intelligence Committee plan, which would have imposed looser restrictions on surveillance. The Judiciary Committee legislation sought broader reformers to additional surveillance powers.

The timetable remains subject to change and lawmakers have until mid-April to approve a revision without letting the Section 702 lapse.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.