Two Republican lawmakers warned United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday of a potential intelligence gap, accusing Democrats of backing away from extending key foreign intelligence legislation.
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, originally enacted to regulate foreign intelligence surveillance, includes Section 702, which allows US intelligence agencies to collect communications of foreign targets without obtaining individual warrants. Supporters of the provision, introduced after the September 11 terror attacks, argue it remains a critical tool for national security.
Senators Tom Cotton and Chuck Grassley have urged Rubio in a letter to prepare for a “potential significant gap in foreign intelligence collection” as Senate Democrats block the extension of Section 702. The letter urges Rubio to identify intelligence targets that could be affected if warrantless FISA surveillance expires and to consider other “lawful and constitutional” ways of gathering information.