Trump Links FISA Renewal to 'SAVE America Act' Voting Legislation
Former President Trump is demanding that Congress attach his proposed "SAVE America Act" voting overhaul to legislation renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Section 702, a key U.S. surveillance authority, recently lapsed after the House failed to extend it. Trump stated on Truth Social that he opposes FISA renewal without his voting bill "firmly attached." His "SAVE America Act" would require proof of citizenship to register and photo identification to cast a ballot, a measure he has advocated for a year to implement stricter voting laws.
President Trump has conditioned the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) on Congress attaching his proposed "SAVE America Act" voting overhaul. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump stated, "I'm against FISA if it doesn't come with The Save America Act (Full version!) firmly attached to it."
Section 702 of FISA, a contested U.S. surveillance authority, lapsed on Friday, June 12, for the first time since its inception in 2008. The House of Representatives failed to extend the authority, with a 198–218 vote, where 19 Republicans joined Democrats in blocking the law. The statute permits the government to surveil foreigners abroad and can incidentally collect communications from Americans in contact with those targets. Privacy advocates have long opposed the authority, while security proponents support it. Efforts by some conservatives to require warrants for searches involving Americans have been unsuccessful.
Trump's "SAVE America Act" is a stalled bill that proposes requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification to cast a ballot. Supporters of the bill argue it ensures only citizens vote and enhances confidence in elections. Critics, however, warn that such rules could prevent millions of eligible Americans from voting. Audits and studies conducted by election officials and researchers have indicated that noncitizen voting, which is already illegal and carries severe penalties, is rare.
Trump also defended his selection of Bill Pulte, a housing regulator with no national security experience, as the acting director of national intelligence (DNI). He criticized Republicans for "moving too fast on nominations!!!" to replace Pulte, despite Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton being named as his permanent nominee, with a confirmation hearing scheduled for Wednesday. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and other Republican senators have reportedly declined to vouch for Pulte, with Thune stating, "We don't need a weaponized DNI."
The "SAVE America Act" previously garnered 50 votes in an earlier session this month but failed to reach the 60-vote threshold required for passage. Trump has reportedly pressured Senate Majority Leader Thune to eliminate the filibuster to pass the bill on a party-line vote, though Thune has indicated the necessary votes are not present.
(Source: Axios)
