Overview
- The House rejected a three-week patch by a 198-218 vote on Thursday, with 19 Republicans joining most Democrats and Republican leaders adjourning without a clear plan to return.
- House Democrats insisted they would not back renewal while Bill Pulte remains the acting director of national intelligence, saying his appointment must be rescinded before negotiations resume.
- President Trump announced a nomination for Jay Clayton after the House vote, and lawmakers urged naming the Senate-confirmed principal deputy Aaron Lukas as acting DNI to break the impasse.
- The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court re-certified Section 702 procedures through March 2027, which could allow some collection to continue but creates risks of provider noncompliance, litigation and stale intelligence if the statute lapses.
- Privacy advocates and some lawmakers are pressing specific reforms such as a warrant requirement for queries of Americans’ communications and limits on agencies buying Americans’ data, while congressional delay could curtail intelligence used for events like World Cup security and public-safety planning.