Trump Officials Press Congress to Renew Spying Law in Lame-Duck Session

The Trump administration has urged congressional leaders to extend Section 702, a warrantless surveillance authority, within the next month. The request puts a contentious national security and privacy debate on the agenda as Republicans’ control of Congress nears its end, potentially competing with other priorities such as confirming judges.

In a letter, Attorney General Todd Blanche, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton and CIA Director John Ratcliffe called the law indispensable for detecting threats. Section 702, enacted in 2008, allows the government to collect messages from US providers when targeting foreigners abroad, including communications with Americans. Although the statute expired in June, the National Security Agency can continue operating the programme until March 2027 under existing court certifications; critics want stronger safeguards, including judicial approval for searches of Americans’ messages.