- The House of Representatives has approved a short-term renewal of a controversial surveillance program, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, until April 30.
- The vote came in the early hours of Friday after Republicans initially rejected attempts to pass a longer extension, despite pressure from President Donald Trump for a lengthier renewal.
- Lawmakers had struggled throughout the week to agree on an extension, with earlier proposals for five-year and 18-month renewals failing due to opposition from some Republicans and most Democrats.
- Section 702 permits US spy agencies to collect overseas communications without a warrant, a power officials deem critical for national security but which raises civil liberties concerns due to incidental collection of American citizens' data.
- Democrats criticized the late-night voting as “amateur hour,” highlighting the chaotic process as Congress raced to prevent the program from expiring on Monday.
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