Jeffries: Democrats won’t help Johnson break FISA impasse
by Mike Lillis - 04/11/24 3:37 PM ET
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Thursday that Democrats will not help GOP leaders with a procedural vote to advance legislation extending the government’s surveillance powers.
Nineteen conservative Republicans joined forces with all House Democrats on Wednesday to sink a rule governing a bipartisan proposal to renew a controversial section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), as well as several other Republican messaging bills.
The extraordinary development effectively blocked the underlying legislation from receiving a floor vote. And it led to speculation that Democrats — who overwhelmingly support FISA reauthorization — might break tradition to help Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) usher a stand-alone FISA bill to the floor.
But asked Thursday if Democrats would support such a strategy — and if he’s spoken with Johnson on the topic — Jeffries was terse.
“No, and no,” he told reporters in the Capitol.
The opposition from Democrats eliminates one of an already small list of options Johnson is weighing to break the impasse over the reauthorization of FISA Section 702 — a proposal Johnson had opposed as a member of the Judiciary Committee, but now supports as Speaker.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4588868-jeffries-johnson-fisa-impasse/