WATCH LIVE: Senate meets after deal to renew expiring surveillance program falters
PBS NewsHour – Politics — 2026-06-08 13:08:00 — www.pbs.org
Republican and Democratic Senators Reject Trump’s Intelligence Pick, Jeopardizing Key Surveillance Program
A bipartisan backlash has erupted in the Senate over President Donald Trump’s decision to appoint federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, throwing the future of a critical surveillance authority into doubt. The controversy centers on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows U.S. agencies to collect communications from foreign targets overseas without a warrant. The authority is set to lapse on June 12 unless Congress acts.
Trump’s selection of Pulte, who lacks national security experience, has upended what appeared to be a near-agreement on a long-term extension of the surveillance program. Lawmakers from both parties have voiced concerns that Pulte is unqualified to oversee the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies. According to the excerpt, Trump said last week that Pulte’s appointment would only be temporary, but this assurance has not calmed the bipartisan opposition.
Senate leaders, including Republicans who typically support Trump, have criticized the timing and substance of the appointment. Senate Majority Leader John Thune warned that the nation’s top intelligence post should not be “weaponized” and called for the job to be filled by “professionals.” Senator James Lankford, a Republican member of the Intelligence Committee, stated, “He’s not qualified for the long-term position. That’s been clear on this. He has no national security background.”
The backlash has real consequences: seven Republicans joined nearly all Democrats to block a long-term extension of the surveillance authority after Trump’s announcement. With Pulte in place, prospects for a breakthrough remain slim, as several senators have said they see no path to convincing enough Democrats to support renewal.
The episode highlights the risks of politicizing critical national security appointments and the potential fallout when experience and qualifications are set aside. As the deadline looms, the fate of a key surveillance tool remains uncertain, with lawmakers warning of significant intelligence gaps if the program lapses. Trump’s insistence on his pick, despite widespread opposition, has left Congress at an impasse and the nation’s intelligence capabilities hanging in the balance.