Himes Says Trump's Pulte DNI Pick Jeopardizes Section 702 Before Friday Deadline
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Jun 7
Himes Says Trump's Pulte DNI Pick Jeopardizes Section 702 Before Friday Deadline
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Jun 7
Summary
Friday's Section 702 deadline is now harder to meet, Jim Himes said, arguing Bill Pulte's appointment as acting DNI has "taken reauthorization off the table."
Pulte, moved from the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has no national security experience, Himes said, and his selection could wipe out at least half of the 42 House Democrats who backed renewal in April.
That threat lands after the Senate last week failed to advance a clean 702 extension, leaving the surveillance authority at risk of expiring after Congress already relied on two short-term patches.
Section 702 is a key tool against terrorism, espionage, drug trafficking and cyber threats, and Sens. Tom Cotton and Chuck Grassley have urged the administration to prepare backup collection plans if it lapses.
How will the US address foreign threats if its most vital surveillance tool expires this week?
What happens when a controversial appointment puts a critical national security law on the brink of collapse?
Could a leadership crisis in intelligence accidentally pave the way for long-sought surveillance reforms?
Political Crisis Erupts: Trump’s Appointment of Bill Pulte as DNI and Senate’s Block of FISA Section 702 Renewal Threaten U.S. Intelligence
Overview
President Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte as acting Director of National Intelligence, despite Pulte’s lack of intelligence or national security experience, has sparked bipartisan criticism and concerns about politicization. Pulte, known for aggressively targeting Trump’s political adversaries, was placed in charge of the entire U.S. intelligence community after Tulsi Gabbard stepped down. This controversial move contributed to heightened tensions in Congress, leading to the Senate’s failure to renew Section 702 of FISA, a key surveillance authority. The resulting political turmoil has raised fears about weakened national security, eroded trust in intelligence leadership, and uncertainty over critical surveillance powers.