Thune Signals Senate Will Not Pair SAVE America Act With FISA Surveillance Extension

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the chamber is likely to move separately on a Section 702 extension, despite President Donald Trump’s push to tie the surveillance measure to voter ID legislation.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated Monday that the Senate is not expected to follow President Donald Trump’s demand to link a major voter ID bill to an extension of key federal surveillance powers.

The dispute centers on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a provision authorizing warrantless surveillance of foreigners outside the United States. The authority expired at the end of last week after the House rejected an extension.

Lawmakers have been working to revive the measure, but Trump has pushed for the extension to be paired with the SAVE America Act, a voter ID bill that has stalled in the Senate.

Thune suggested Monday that the chamber’s immediate focus remains on finding enough votes to extend Section 702, rather than attaching the election legislation to it. He said timing may depend on the confirmation of Jay Clayton to serve as director of national intelligence.

“We will try and move 702 as soon as we feel like we have the votes to do it,” Thune said, according to The Hill. “That’s probably all contingent on Clayton getting confirmed and in position.”

The surveillance debate has been complicated by Trump’s appointment of Federal Housing Finance Agency chief Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. Democrats raised concerns that the move could signal an effort to use the intelligence post against the administration’s political opponents.

The SAVE America Act, meanwhile, has remained stalled despite pressure from Trump and supporters who want Republicans to change Senate rules to bypass the 60-vote filibuster threshold.

Trump previously said he would oppose extending Section 702 unless the legislation also included the SAVE America Act. Thune’s remarks suggest Senate leaders are preparing to move the surveillance measure on its own if they can secure enough support.

The clash highlights a divide between Trump’s effort to use the expiring surveillance authority as leverage for voter ID legislation and Senate leadership’s attempt to restore Section 702 after its expiration.