Intelligence & Surveillance — 2026-03-18

Bipartisan Government Surveillance Reform Act Introduced Five Weeks Before Section 702 Sunset

Senators Lee, Wyden, Lummis, and Warren introduced legislation to reauthorize FISA Section 702 for four years while imposing warrant requirements for accessing Americans' communications and banning government data broker purchases without court approval. The bill arrives five weeks before the April 20 sunset. Ninety civil liberties organizations urge Democratic leadership to oppose a clean extension.

Analysis
Prior digest reported FBI 702 queries of Americans' data rose 35% in 2025 and NSA IG found unauthorized US person queries. The Lee-Wyden bill competes with Cotton's clean 18-month extension. The April 20 sunset creates a forcing function that the Iran war makes politically awkward -- cutting surveillance authority during active conflict.