Overview
- On June 17, President Trump announced on Truth Social that he would not approve a renewal of Section 702 of FISA unless the SAVE America Act is attached to the bill, tying a must-pass security measure to a partisan voting and culture package.
- Trump is scheduled to meet Republican senators at a Rick Scott-hosted GOP steering lunch on Wednesday to press support for the SAVE Act and push for ways to force its consideration.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other GOP leaders say the SAVE Act lacks the 60 votes needed to survive filibuster rules and call attaching it to the FISA extension unrealistic.
- Republican senators report growing frustration with the White House after actions that complicated deals—naming Bill Pulte acting DNI, pulling Jay Clayton’s hearing, and proposing an anti-weaponization fund—creating what lawmakers call strained relations on the Hill.
- The standoff raises practical risks: lawmakers warn the lapse in Section 702 could stretch into July, which would hinder intelligence collection and slow confirmations, and senators worry the fight could harm vulnerable GOP incumbents ahead of the midterms.