Senate passes defense bill with Section 702 surveillance extension

The Senate on Wednesday approved an $886 billion funding package to pay for the United States' defense budget next year and included a provision to extend certain surveillance powers for several months.

The final vote on the National Defense Authorization Act was 87-13, The Hill reported. Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee had spearheaded an effort to remove the temporary extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702 surveillance powers, but was unsuccessful. Thirty-five lawmakers backed him, including Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul, though the group needed 41 senators.

Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, for his part, lamented the FISA extension's inclusion in the Senate bill, but vowed to oppose its inclusion in the House version.

"It was close in the Senate, but now it’s up to the House tomorrow to stop the reauthorization of warrantless spying on Americans. Thank you for your valiant efforts [Mike Lee] and [Rand Paul]," he posted.

Section 702 allows for the warrantless surveillance of foreigners abroad and is slated to expire at the end of the year. Republicans had introduced two proposals to reform the provisions but House Speaker Mike Johnson pulled both bills amid intense internal GOP divisions on the matter.

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