House GOP leadership pulls dueling FISA bills amid backlash
By Melanie Zanona and Annie Grayer, CNN
House GOP leadership has pulled a pair of surveillance law bills from the floor, according to GOP sources, as Speaker Mike Johnson was facing backlash from his conference over the two-bill approach.
The GOP has been divided over how to extend section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and so Johnson was planning to put both bills on the floor Tuesday to see which one would garner the most support, but his right flank pushed backed on the idea.
The National Defense Authorization Act, a defense policy bill that lawmakers are pushing to pass this week through both chambers, temporarily extends authority for the surveillance program through April 19 so it is not expected to lapse.
The House GOP has been fiercely divided over how to overhaul the government surveillance program and some members have been openly frustrated with Johnson over how he has handled the contentious issue, which was the subject of several closed-door meetings on Monday night.
House Republicans had been aiming to pass a long-term extension of the program before they leave this week, but there were competing proposals in the conference about how to do that. Instead of taking a position, Johnson had initially opted to put both GOP proposals on the floor this week and see which one garnered the most votes, essentially pitting the bills against each other. The approach, however, had rankled some Republicans.
Emerging from a House GOP leadership meeting on Monday, GOP Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota told CNN that on this topic, “I would say tensions are running pretty high.”
“It’s time for us to get our big boy and big girl pants on and try to take tough votes,” Johnson added.
The speaker said in a “Dear Colleague” last week that the bills, one brought by the House Judiciary Committee and the other by the House Intelligence Committee, would be brought to the floor under a special rule “that provides members a fair opportunity to vote in favor of their preferred measure.”
House Republicans had been growing increasingly frustrated with Johnson’s handling of this issue. Johnson and GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida were seen having what appeared to be an extended heated conversation on the House floor last week over the issue.
GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has also expressed major frustration over leadership’s handling of the defense policy bill, citing a variety of issues.
CNN’s Clare Foran contributed to this report.
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