Congressional Oversight & Policy — 2026-03-19

Section 702 Expires in 31 Days With Two Competing Reform Vehicles

FISA Section 702 authority sunsets in April 2026 with no clear reauthorization path. Two competing bills have emerged: the bipartisan Government Surveillance Reform Act (Wyden-Lee-Davidson-Lofgren) requiring warrants for U.S. person queries and closing the data broker loophole, and the SAFE Act (Lee-Durbin) adding warrant requirements. The White House reportedly favors a clean reauthorization with no reforms, setting up a collision between civil liberties advocates and the IC's operational needs during wartime.

Analysis
Prior IC Brief tracked this at T-33 days. Now at T-31 with no floor scheduling for either reform vehicle. The wartime context complicates reform: IC leadership will argue any interruption to 702 collection during Iran operations is unacceptable, giving the White House leverage for a clean reauthorization without reforms.