Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following a veto threat by the President, House leadership pulled back from passing national security legislation this week, instead sending the bill to conference with the Senate. The FISA bill, which has received strong bipartisan support, reauthorizes critical surveillance programs under the USA Freedom Act, a 2015 intelligence reform law. 

Two months ago, the House passed a strong bipartisan FISA bill with the support of nearly two-thirds of House Republicans. The bill then moved to the Republican Senate which amended the FISA reauthorization to make it more protective of civil liberties and passed it in a 80-16 vote, with the support of 48 of 53 Republicans. Hours before a vote in the House this week, the President tweeted that he would veto the bill and House Republicans abandoned their support for the legislation. Facing the lapse of critical national security programs, the House voted to send the bill to conference for further negotiations with the Senate. 

“This is not the time to go soft on national security,” said Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5). “The FISA programs at stake are critical to domestic counterterrorism investigations and American security. This bipartisan legislation, which passed the Senate with overwhelming Republican support, also includes important protections for civil liberties. We cannot throw our national security into jeopardy over the latest conspiracy theory. We must act in the interest of American national security and reauthorize these critical programs.”    

Congresswoman Horn serves as Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Task Force on National Security. In that position, she led a letter to congressional leadership this week calling for a bipartisan investigation into the actions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak and throughout the pandemic. 

With the recent reversal, the expired FISA surveillance powers for federal law enforcement are at risk of remaining lapsed indefinitely. The three authorities -- a business records provision allowing the collection of tangible things in national security investigations, a roving wiretaps provision and a lone wolf provision -- have been expired since March 15. 

###