WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 A lapse in a law that allows the U.S. to gather intelligence abroad grew more likely on Wednesday as President Donald Trump resisted calls from Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill to immediately name a permanent head of the nation\u2019s intelligence agencies.<\/p>\n
Trump has doubled down on his temporary pick<\/a> for director of national intelligence, federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte, even though he has little experience for the job. Democrats say they won\u2019t support the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA, unless he withdraws Pulte\u2019s appointment and nominates a permanent replacement.<\/p>\n The impasse could soon result in limitations on what intelligence the U.S. government can collect abroad just as World Cup games<\/a> begin in cities around the country and ahead of celebrations for the nation\u2019s 250th anniversary<\/a>. The law expires on Friday at midnight. <\/p>\n Trump on Wednesday asked Congress for a short-term extension of the law to \u201cprovide time for the selection and confirmation\u201d of a permanent director.\u201d But he stuck with Pulte as the acting head and said he wants to begin downsizing intelligence agencies. <\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t let them extort us,\u201d Trump said of Democrats. <\/p>\n Senate Republicans floated an short-term extension of the law after Trump\u2019s request, but it was immediately rejected by Democrats who argued that it\u2019s up to the president to replace Pulte. <\/p>\n As the bill stalled in the Senate, Speaker Mike Johnson announced the House would hold a vote Thursday on a stopgap to keep the program running through July 2 even as the chances of passage appeared slim. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to ask every member here to do the right thing,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cWe cannot allow that to go dark.\u201d<\/p>\n House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said if Trump wants a shot at a short-term extension, he needs to pull the Pulte appointment. Pulte is a \u201cdisgraceful individual\u201d and a \u201cpartisan political hack\u201d who is deeply unqualified for the job, Jeffries said. <\/p>\n GOP leaders lobby the White House, to no avail <\/p>\n Congressional Republicans have lobbied Trump all week to quickly nominate a permanent replacement. But he said he needs more time to do so. <\/p>\n Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Wednesday that Republican leaders have \u201cmade our views known\u201d to the White House about the easiest way to get the bill passed, and \u201cwe\u2019re just doing what we can here to ensure that the White House understands what will be necessary in order to make that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump said on Friday that he is interviewing five candidates for his pick to lead the agency permanently and that all have a national security background.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an important position and one that I think will be filled by a highly qualified person,\u201d said Johnson, who met with Trump twice this week to talk about the FISA impasse.<\/p>\n Trump made it very clear, Johnson said, that Pulte will serve a \u201cvery short term \u2014 a sort of renovation role\u201d to help the Office of the Director of National Intelligence be \u201crenovated and downsized.\u201d<\/p>\n To unlock votes for FISA, the pick would have to be soon \u2014 and Trump\u2019s choice would have to satisfy both Republicans and Democrats.<\/p>\n One of several possible replacements could be Pete Hoekstra, Trump\u2019s ambassador to Canada<\/a> and a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. The White House has reached out to Hoekstra about the job and conversations are ongoing, according to a person familiar with the outreach who requested anonymity to discuss the private conversations. <\/p>\n FISA will lapse at midnight Friday<\/p>\n Section 702 of FISA allows agencies such as the CIA, National Security Agency and FBI to collect communications from foreign targets overseas without a warrant.<\/p>\n While members of both parties who cite privacy issues have long wanted to limit the authority<\/a>, there was broad bipartisan support to renew it, especially after Republicans and Democrats recently worked out a compromise bill. <\/p>\n Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has worked with Republicans on the compromise legislation to renew the authority. But he called Pulte\u2019s appointment to replace outgoing DNI Tulsi Gabbard<\/a> \u201ca live hand grenade\u201d as they were trying to pass it. Republican leaders tried to start the process last week, but seven Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in blocking a long-term extension after Pulte was appointed. (<\/p>\n Warner said Wednesday that the only way he\u2019ll support a short-term extension of the surveillance law is if the principal deputy director of national intelligence, Aaron Lukas, is the acting leader during the duration of that extension.<\/p>\n