This week on the Hill: FISA negotiations at a standstill after Clayton hearing delayed

The fate of legislation to revive the government’s warrantless spying powers remains murky after President Trump last week called for a Senate Intelligence Committee nomination hearing for Jay Clayton, his pick to serve as director of national intelligence, to be postponed. 

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows the government to spy on foreigners abroad without a warrant, expired on June 12, after Democrats objected to Trump’s appointment of Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte as the acting director of national intelligence.

Republicans had viewed Clayton’s nomination as a potential off-ramp from the FISA impasse. Democrats said they would only consider a Section 702 renewal if Pulte was out of the intelligence job.

“I am not sure whether Jay Clayton has simply been postponed or withdrawn. I wonder whether Jay Clayton knows whether he has been postponed or withdrawn,” Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters last week.

Pulte, meanwhile, took over in his new role on Friday.

“It’s up to them,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, referring to Republicans. “This is Republican president, Republican House, Republican Senate, all screwing up with each other. They’ve got to come to an agreement, and they’ve got to have the courage to buck the president, who clearly doesn’t want a DNI director and doesn’t want FISA renewed.”

FISA negotiations at a standstill: Senate Republicans are debating how to move forward on a Section 702 renewal after the Clayton hearing was postponed.

Housing bill moves through Congress: The Senate and the House will consider a housing bill.

House to take up appropriations bills: The House will take up two government funding bills for fiscal 2027.

Todd Blanche to meet with Thom Tillis: Sen. Thom Tillis(R-N.C.) said he will meet with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche over his nomination to be the next attorney general. 

Section 702 renewal remains in flux

The abrupt cancellation of Clayton’s nomination hearing last week dealt a significant blow to Republicans, who had hoped to move quickly on a Section 702 renewal.

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said that Trump’s call “didn’t make a lot of sense.”

“One of the things may very well be, as I try to explain it in my own brain, sort of maybe a lack of trust or faith in [Senate Majority Leader] John Thune’s (R-S.D.) clear-eyed understanding of the sequence of........

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