FISA Reauthorization May Not Be Done Deal Just Yet as Critics Rally, Trump Sounds Cautionary Note

From The Epoch Times:

WASHINGTON—When the House of Representatives approved a bipartisan compromise measure Wednesday to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, including the court at the center of the Spygate scandal, it appeared supporters were headed to a quick victory.

Even Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee and one of President Donald Trump’s fieriest defenders during the Democratic impeachment drive that developed out of Spygate, called the measure “real reform,” though he acknowledged he wanted more FISA changes.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.C.), Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) announced they support upper-chamber passage of the measure, known officially as the “USA Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2020.”

Attorney General William Barr added his voice to support for the bill that passed the House on a 278-136 vote tally, with most of the opposition coming from Republicans.

The present FISA law ends March 15, so the Senate must pass some version of the House bill and then it be signed by Trump to avoid lapsed authorization.

But as Congress grappled Thursday with the coronavirus crisis while hurrying to finish up work before leaving town for next week’s recess, angry critics of the last-minute reauthorization were encouraged by a Trump tweet:

“Many Republican Senators want me to Veto the FISA Bill until we find out what led to, and happened with, the illegal attempted ‘coup’ of the duly elected President of the United States, and others!”

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