FISA Section 702 lapses as House Republicans revolt over warrant requirement

FISA Section 702 authority lapsed briefly on April 9, 2026, after approximately 20 House Republicans blocked a clean reauthorization by demanding a warrant requirement before the FBI could query Americans' communications collected under the program. Speaker Mike Johnson pushed an emergency 10-day extension to prevent an intelligence gap while leadership negotiated with the warrant-requirement faction. The revolt represented the most serious congressional challenge to the FBI's warrantless query authority since Section 702 was created in 2008.