President Trump has accelerated the start date for Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence to June 19, a move that is deepening an impasse over reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and threatening even a short-term extension of the spy powers set to expire Friday.
House and Senate efforts to bring a bill to the floor extending FISA 702 until July 2 appear likely to fail, with Democrats saying they will not back any extension while Pulte remains in the role. Trump himself sent mixed signals Wednesday, publicly urging Congress to pass a short-term extension to buy time for selecting a permanent intelligence chief.
What the Left Is Saying
Senate Democrats are insisting that Aaron Lucas, who was Senate-confirmed as principal deputy director of national intelligence in a 51-46 vote last July, be returned to the acting role. Trump initially named Lucas as acting director when Tulsi Gabbard resigned but reversed course by naming Pulte to sidestep Senate confirmation.
"Whatever the period of the extension would be, I could be supportive if the law is followed, and that means that the current Trump-appointed, Senate-confirmed number two director of national intelligence is the acting during that extension period," said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) was more direct in his opposition. "As long as Pulte is designated to run that agency, an extension is a nonstarter for me," he said. "There's a perfectly good acting director in place now, a professional, so unless you want to do mischief with the agency, there's no need to put Pulte in the role."
In the House, Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, echoed that position. "One day under Bill Pulte is one day too many," he said. "This guy is a disaster, and so that's where we are."
Democrats have raised concerns about Pulte's lack of national security or intelligence experience. He remains head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and has referred criminal prosecutions on alleged mortgage fraud for at least four Trump political foes: Schiff, former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook, and New York Attorney General Letitia James (D).
"Bill Pulte would not be on the list of the million most qualified Americans to serve in this job," said Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Warner warned of broader implications. "We already have partners around the world who are reluctant to share intelligence with us because of some of the politicization," he said, referring to what he called the "ramifications" of Pulte's appointment.
What the Right Is Saying
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has scheduled a vote on the July 2 extension for Thursday morning and criticized Senate Democrats for their stance.
"Democrats in the Senate are playing political games right now with the lives of Americans. It's a very dangerous situation," Johnson told reporters Wednesday, arguing that failing to extend FISA 702 would endanger national security.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) expressed frustration at the stalemate while indicating he would not block a short-term extension through unanimous consent. "I think all of us would like to make sure foreigners are surveilled and Americans aren't, so it's always disappointing me that we just kick the can," he told The Hill.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said he would not stand in the way of a short-term extension but wants reforms before any permanent reauthorization. "If they do a short-term extension by unanimous consent, I'm not going to block that," he said, adding that for longer measures, "I'd like there to be some more process to protect Americans."
Trump himself appeared to acknowledge the urgency, pleading with Congress on Wednesday to pass a short-term extension to allow time for selecting and confirming a permanent intelligence chief.
What the Numbers Show
Section 702 of FISA allows the government to surveil foreigners located abroad but also sweeps up communications of Americans in contact with those being monitored. The provision is set to expire Friday without Congressional action.
This marks at least the third time Congress has punted on FISA reauthorization this year. A three-week extension was hotlined in the Senate and rejected by Democrats Wednesday.
Last week, seven Senate Republicans voted with Democrats to sideline a three-year Section 702 extension, a coalition that Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) called unprecedented. "These seven Republicans is a group that we've never had before — and I'm the longest serving member of the committee — so this is important," Wyden said.
The Senate confirmed Aaron Lucas as principal deputy director of national intelligence in July 2024 by a 51-46 vote, indicating narrow bipartisan support for his confirmation.
The Bottom Line
FISA Section 702's expiration looms Friday with no clear path forward. Democrats have dug in on demanding Lucas be restored as acting director, while House Republican leadership is pushing ahead with a Thursday vote on the July 2 extension despite apparent Senate opposition.
Trump's acceleration of Pulte's start date to June 19 has hardened Democratic resistance even for short-term measures. The president has publicly supported a temporary extension but continues to back an acting intelligence chief Democrats consider unqualified and politically motivated.
Discussions have continued about another short-term extension on both sides of Capitol, which would mark the third postponement this year. Lawmakers in both parties are also pushing for reforms to FISA 702 before any long-term reauthorization, with particular focus on warrant requirements and location tracking limitations.
What happens next: Congress could pass a last-minute stopgap measure to avoid expiration while negotiations continue, or Section 702 lapses temporarily — an outcome neither party has signaled it wants but both have prepared for amid the standoff.