House GOP pauses infighting to move forward on key surveillance bill

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MSN

House bill aimed at reauthorizing FISA, the key surveillance bill, overcame a procedural hurdle on Friday after heated GOP infighting earlier this week.

Why it matters: Leadership agreed to have the bill expire in two years instead of five, arguing that the new timeline would provide them another opportunity to tackle the bill if former President Trump takes back the White House.

 

• The bill is expected to pass later Friday with bipartisan support.

Zoom in: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and his leadership team worked late into Wednesday evening and Thursday talking to defectors of the bill — which would reauthorize the government's ability to conduct surveillance on noncitizens citizens abroad.

• Conservatives cited the exclusion of language on warrant requirements as their reason behind tanking the rule vote on Wednesday despite being offered an amendment vote.
• "It gives a lot of people hope we will get another bite of the apple when Trump's president," one lawmaker said.

The intrigue: The change to the bill came after a fiery conference meeting on Wednesday afternoon, with security and privacy hawks sharply divided on the warrant language which remains out of the current bill.