President Trump said Sunday that he won’t support any renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that does not also include the SAVE America Act, a sweeping overhaul of U.S. elections.
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the U.S. government to monitor communications of foreigners abroad without a warrant, expired Friday after the House and Senate left without passing an extension.
Democrats have refused to extend Section 702 because Mr. Trump selected Bill Pulte, the head of the Federal Housing and Finance Agency, to temporarily serve as director of national intelligence. They argue that Mr. Pulte doesn’t have the national security experience necessary for the position and say he will use the job to target the president’s political foes.
“A few Dumocrats are against FISA with or without Bill Pulte going to DNI as Acting. What kind of deal is that? Besides, I’m against FISA if it doesn’t come with The Save America Act (Full version!) firmly attached to it,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The president later suggested that Democrats oppose Mr. Pulte because they fear he’ll uncover damaging information about them.
“Why are the Dumocrats so afraid of Bill Pulte at DNI? He would only be Acting! What do they have to be afraid of, what are they hiding? There must be something BIG mustn’t there???” he wrote.
SEE ALSO: Homeland Security’s Mullin says spy power lapse makes it more difficult to monitor threats
The SAVE America Act has no relation to the FISA extension, but Mr. Trump has vowed not to sign any other legislation until the voting bill passes.
Earlier this month, four Senate Republicans joined Democrats to thwart an effort to pass the SAVE America Act by attaching the bill to a $70 billion funding package geared towards funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly stressed that the Save America Act is critical to protect U.S. election integrity.
The bill would require voters to present proof of citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID to vote, which Mr. Trump and his allies say is necessary to stop voter fraud.
