Top Intelligence Democrat Says GOP Should Renew Spy Program Before Democrats Take Over

Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, has urged Republicans to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act before the current Congress ends. The provision allows US intelligence agencies to collect electronic communications of people outside the country without a warrant; it lapsed in June. Himes argues the programme is important to national security, while civil liberties groups warn that renewing it now would preserve broad surveillance powers for the Trump administration.

Himes says the next reauthorisation, expected early next year under a Democratic-led Congress, would look very different, and he has described Section 702 as rigorously overseen. He is due to become committee chair in January and has promised scrutiny of intelligence operations, contractor donations to Trump projects and possible pressure on analysts. A coalition including the ACLU and Demand Progress has called for reauthorisation to wait, citing past surveillance of protesters, elected officials and journalists; seven Republicans opposed renewal earlier this year.