WASHINGTON – Dozens of House Democrats joined most Republicans on Wednesday to approve an extension of the government’s authority to conduct warrantless surveillance.
The extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act would preserve the government’s ability to look through telecommunications by U.S. citizens collected in the course of foreign surveillance.
The bill passed comfortably, 235–191, with 42 Democrats in support and 22 Republicans against.
The Democratic support came despite warnings from progressives and Democratic leaders alike that the Trump administration can’t be trusted not to abuse its power and trample constitutional rights.
“This bill is a three-year permission slip and blessing for the Trump administration and the next administration to keep abusing the sweeping FISA Section 702 surveillance authority to spy on American citizens’ private communications and to violate the privacy rights of the people,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said before the vote.
