Key Democrat Says FISA at Risk with Trump Promotion of Pulte (1)

President Donald Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence makes passage of a bill renewing spy powers far harder, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee said.

Senator Mark Warner said on ABC’s This Week that Pulte’s appointment threw a “live grenade” into negotiations between Republicans and Democrats to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. That program, which started after 9/11, allows intelligence agencies to surveil foreign nationals’ communications even if US citizens are part of the communication. The current authorization for those powers expires on June 12.

“The idea that ...