U.S. House Okays Modified Surveillance Bill

The House has put a modified surveillance bill on track for final passage, just days after an earlier version failed to advance in a public rebuke to GOP leadership, as reported by Kristin Wilson and Haley Talbot for CNN.

The new version of the FISA bill would be a two-year reauthorization instead of five years.

The House voted Friday morning to approve the rule governing debate surrounding the modified bill behind the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act reauthorization, a key step before final passage.

The procedural vote was 213-208 along party lines. The advancement of the legislation is a win for House Speaker Mike Johnson after GOP leadership’s defeat on the floor just two days ago.

This comes as the Louisiana Republican faces direct challenges to his leadership.

GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia filed a resolution last month that could force a vote to remove Johnson from the speakership. Greene has been citing that threat to escalate pressure on Johnson over issues such as changes to the FISA reauthorization and aid to Ukraine.

The new version of the FISA bill would be a two-year reauthorization instead of five years, meaning that if former President Donald Trump won the presidential election this year, the legislation would be up for review in time for potential changes to FISA laws in the future.