Harris Statement on House Passage of Short-Term FISA Extension

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Mark Harris (NC-08) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 8322, a short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) through April 30, 2026: 

“Following the House’s passage of a short-term extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), Congress now has the opportunity to continue working in good faith to enact reforms that protect our national security without sacrificing the constitutional rights of American citizens,” said Congressman Harris. “FISA provides our intelligence agencies with critical tools to monitor foreign adversaries, but it has been stretched beyond its intended purpose and used to conduct warrantless searches of Americans’ data.

A warrant requirement for searches of Americans’ communications is essential to protecting the Fourth Amendment. It ensures this authority remains focused on foreign threats, not the surveillance of American citizens.”

BACKGROUND:

• Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was enacted by Congress in 2008 to permit the government to conduct surveillance of suspected foreign terrorists outside traditional warrant requirements. However, Section 702 has expanded beyond its original intent and has been used to query the communications of Americans, including political donors, journalists, political commentators, and public officials.
• In Carpenter v. United States, the Supreme Court held that the federal government must obtain a warrant to access an American’s location data from cell carriers. 

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