GOP bill hits major snag as spy powers push fizzles: 'Going to have a problem'

A bill the Republican Party had wanted to pass through with little opposition has hit a snag as a clean pass for spy-powers fizzles out.

An extension of Section 702, a surveillance authority bill, had been sought by the GOP, but it appears there is enough opposition to passing the bill cleanly. It means that the key spy authority extension into 2027 hangs in the balance, with anonymous sources telling Politico the bill is now in doubt.

Jordain Carney, John Sakellariadis, and Mia McCarthy noted the state of flux for the bill, which Donald Trump hopes to see passed as quickly as possible. They wrote, "The behind-the-scenes push comes as Congress barrels toward an April 20 deadline to reauthorize Section 702, which is itself a perennial source of intraparty tension for the GOP.

"Even as some Hill Republicans believe that Trump supports a clean extension, others cautioned there are still two months to go and things will remain in flux until the president weighs in publicly — underscoring the fraught nature of the discussion.

"GOP leaders are involved in conversations with House Republicans about how to reauthorize the program, but there is not yet a consensus on how to move forward ahead of the April deadline."

Insiders believe the bill will be a contentious issue for the GOP, with one unnamed source saying leaders are "going to have a problem" uniting Republicans behind the extension.

House Intelligence Committee Chair Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) downplayed the idea of a clean pass for the bill, saying the party is "still shopping that."

He added, "I have a responsibility to … run the play that the coach calls, so we’ll see." Crawford also confirmed it would be unlikely for any bill to get the two-thirds majority required to pass it quickly, with the looming deadline seen as a possible problem for the GOP.

"April 20 is the deadline, so we’ve got to work fast," he said. "Obviously the White House has vested interest in retaining 702, authority. It’s a national security issue. So, you know, it’s very important to them."