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Rights & Freedoms · Report · File No. 261112-415

Himes backed GOP spy-powers bill; Section 702 lapsed in June and still awaits renewal

The top House Intelligence Democrat has long said the warrantless spy program must not expire, but it lapsed June 12 after talks collapsed. Congress returns with the question open.

By the National Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (1) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

My clippings
Jim Himes
Jim Himes. Photo: U.S. House of Representatives, Public domain

Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, has been one of the loudest Democratic voices for keeping Section 702 alive. That is the part of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that lets the government monitor foreigners abroad without a warrant. Our fact desk could not confirm his newest remarks on the lame-duck session, so this brief covers the record behind them.

The law lapsed at the end of the day on Friday, June 12, 2026, NPR reported. Lawmakers have pushed for privacy reforms every time it comes up for renewal and have struggled to agree on changes. This year that produced a series of short-term extensions 1.

Why it lapsed

Talks had appeared to be moving toward a three-year extension with moderate reforms. They collapsed after President Trump nominated Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. Democrats said they would not reauthorize Section 702 while Pulte was in that role, and both chambers held failed votes before leaving town 1.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, also criticized the idea of a politicized intelligence chief. "We don't need a weaponized DNI," he told reporters 1. DNI stands for director of national intelligence.

From Channel GOPHimes: Trump's foreign interference claims are not trueJim Himes · 174 plays · captioned, with the source named

Collection has not stopped. NPR reported that the law lets collection continue for the length of the annual court authorization, even after the law lapses, and that companies must keep complying 1.

Himes's position

On April 29, the House voted 235-191 to extend Section 702 for three years with what Himes called modest reforms 3. Himes was one of 42 House Democrats to vote yes. Most Democrats opposed the bill 2.

Before that vote, Himes said the Republican package was not what he wanted, but it was "better than the status quo." He added that he and Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland would have preferred to finish negotiating "a really solid package of safeguards" 2.

Jim Himes
I'm on the record saying that there is no circumstance under which we can risk this authority expiring.
Jim Himes, Ranking Democrat, House Intelligence Committee, D-Conn.2

Democratic leaders were not united. In a June 11 statement, House Democratic leaders, including Himes and Raskin, said they could not support reauthorization without significant reforms to protect Americans' constitutional privacy rights. They also said they opposed the bill because it would "kick the can further down the road" 4.

What happens next

Congress returns with a crowded agenda. The Senate has not taken up the House bill, and Thune said in April it was not going anywhere there 3. That bill also carried an unrelated ban on a central bank digital currency, which Thune said could make it "dead on arrival" 2.

That matters because Democrats will hold more power over any renewal in January. The central dispute, in plain terms, is whether the government should need a warrant to look at Americans' messages swept up along with foreign targets. That fight has not gone away.

The Record

  1. House votes 235-191 for a three-year Section 702 extension with modest reforms; Himes votes yes 32.
  2. House Democratic leaders, including Himes and Raskin, say they oppose the bill and call for significant reforms 4.
  3. Section 702 lapses at the end of the day after talks collapse over Pulte's nomination 1.
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Sources

  1. NPR, “A key U.S. spy tool has lapsed — now what?” (2026-06-12). kunc.org/npr-news/2026-06-12/a-key-u-s-spy-tool-has-lapsed-n
  2. CT Mirror, “FISA clears House, with only 1 CT congressperson in favor” (2026-04-29). ctmirror.org/2026/04/29/fisa-house-of-representatives-jim-hi
  3. NBC News, “House votes to renew foreign spy program and creates pathway to end DHS shutdown” (2026-04-29). nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-fisa-spy-program-budget-
  4. Office of Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, “Statement from House Democratic Leadership and Ranking Members Himes and Raskin on FISA Section 702” (2026-06-11). jeffries.house.gov/2026/06/11/statement-from-house-democrati

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