House Approves US Surveillance Program

The United States — United States House of Representatives has approved a three-year reauthorization of a divisive U.S. surveillance program, a provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, ahead of its expiration. The bill includes new oversight measures but does not incorporate a warrant requirement for collecting communications involving Americans, a point of contention for critics like Chip Roy and Jamie Raskin. Speaker Mike Johnson secured the necessary support for the bill's passage in the House, emphasizing its importance for national security. However, the bill faces an uncertain path in the United States, where Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated that a short-term extension might be necessary. A significant hurdle is the United States — United States House of Representatives' decision to link the surveillance renewal with separate legislation banning a central bank digital currency, a proposal John Thune believes would be 'dead on arrival' in the United States. Donald Trump, along with John Ratcliffe and Kash Patel, had initially advocated for an 18-month extension without changes. Ron Wyden, a long-time advocate for reform, views the House's deal as 'deeply flawed'.