President Donald Trump is urging Congress to tie renewal of a controversial federal surveillance authority to legislation requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration and photo identification for voting.
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In a series of Truth Social posts Sunday, Trump said he would oppose renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) unless lawmakers also advance the SAVE America Act, a voting measure that has stalled in Congress.
“I’m against FISA if it doesn’t come with The Save America Act (Full version!) firmly attached to it,” Trump wrote.
Trump’s statement places additional pressure on lawmakers as they decide the future of Section 702, one of the federal government’s most controversial intelligence authorities. Advocates claim the program is an important national security tool, while skeptics have raised concerns about its impact on Americans’ privacy.
The surveillance authority expired Friday after the House failed to pass an extension. The measure was defeated in a 198-218 vote, with 19 Republicans joining Democrats in opposition.
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Section 702 allows intelligence agencies to monitor foreign targets located outside the United States. Communications involving Americans can also be collected when they interact with those foreign targets, a feature that has drawn criticism from civil liberties advocates and constitutional conservatives.
Several lawmakers advocated unsuccessfully for requiring warrants before government officials can search communications involving Americans.
The dispute over Section 702 has become the latest front in Trump’s efforts to restore election integrity to the American voting process. Over the past year, the president has repeatedly called on Congress to adopt tougher voting requirements and has increased pressure on Senate Republicans to support the effort.
