Senate Democrats are threatening to withhold their votes to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) following President Trump’s appointment of William J. Pulte, current Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, as Acting Director of National Intelligence.
Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) told Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Tuesday that he has asked the White House to reverse Trump’s decision to install Pulte in the role overseeing the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies. Warner stated that if Pulte remains in the position, Democrats are threatening to withhold their votes for FISA renewal, which expires in nine days.
Warner, who has been instrumental in building Democratic support for a bipartisan effort to extend Section 702, emphasized that Pulte’s lack of national security experience and history of political retaliation against Trump’s opponents make him an inappropriate choice. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has also privately informed senators that the appointment complicates efforts to pass a FISA renewal deal.
Democrats believe their actions would be beneficial for Republicans, as they view Pulte as unqualified for the role despite few openly stating this. The White House had previously indicated to Republican leaders that Aaron Lukas, who was appointed acting DNI 12 days ago, would remain in the position temporarily—a move that surprised Senate Republicans.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) criticized the political maneuvering, stating: “The idea that they would try to play politics right now because they don’t like the president’s choice of an appointment is absolutely stunning to me.”
Section 702 has long been controversial for its broad application, targeting foreign nationals whose communications pass through U.S. servers or involve U.S. contacts, often sweeping up domestic communications without a warrant. In 2020, the FBI used Section 702 to investigate potential terrorist ties among Black Lives Matter protesters, according to a declassified memo released in 2023.
At a recent hearing, Warner criticized Pulte’s qualifications for the position, noting that he has “shown he is willing to do anything President Trump wants, legal or otherwise.” In an interview with NPR on Wednesday, Warner further stated that Pulte’s appointment had undermined what was already a challenging path to renew Section 702. “I do not have the confidence I had yesterday,” he said, adding that placing “someone with no intelligence background and any record of misusing private information” in charge of the Director of National Intelligence represents the worst possible timing.