Senate convenes as surveillance program faces lapse amid intelligence chief dispute

Senate Republicans warned the White House on Wednesday that a critical surveillance authority will likely expire this week unless lawmakers reach a deal, as bipartisan opposition to President Donald Trump's intelligence nominee threatens to derail renewal negotiations.

The surveillance program, which grants federal authorities broad powers to collect foreign intelligence, has faced repeated lapses in recent years as Congress struggled to balance national security needs with privacy concerns. Lawmakers from both parties have demanded changes to the program's oversight mechanisms before voting to extend it.

Trump nominated Tulsi Gabbard, a former congresswoman from Hawaii, to serve as director of national intelligence. The selection prompted immediate criticism from senators in both parties who raised questions about her foreign policy positions and past statements on Russia and other geopolitical matters.

Republican leadership told White House officials that the intelligence nominee's confirmation process had created political complications that threatened to block routine national security legislation. Senate Democrats made clear they would not expedite votes on the surveillance renewal without addressing their concerns about the program's scope and the nominee's background.

"We need to move forward on both fronts, but the White House needs to understand the political reality here," one Republican aide said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal leadership conversations.

The surveillance authority at issue has enabled the National Security Agency and FBI to collect communications and metadata from people inside the United States when they are in contact with foreign targets. Intelligence officials have described the tool as essential for countering terrorism and foreign espionage. Privacy advocates and civil liberties groups have argued the program sweeps up Americans' data without sufficient judicial review.

Congress last reauthorized the program in 2020 with modifications designed to increase transparency and limit certain collection methods. Lawmakers have disagreed since then on whether those safeguards go far enough.

Senate Democratic leaders indicated they would not support renewal without new restrictions on how intelligence agencies handle data collected on U.S. citizens. They also signaled they intended to press the Trump administration on Gabbard's nomination before considering other administration priorities.

Republican senators faced pressure from their own caucus, with some conservatives backing the Democratic demands for stricter oversight while others argued that further limits would hamper national security operations.

The standoff came as the Senate prepared to convene in what lawmakers described as an attempt to negotiate a compromise before the existing authorization expired. If lawmakers failed to reach an agreement, federal intelligence agencies would lose legal authority to conduct certain surveillance operations until Congress passed new legislation.

White House officials did not respond to requests for comment about the dispute or the surveillance renewal timeline. Trump has not publicly weighed in on the program's status or the renewal negotiations.

Intelligence officials warned that any lapse in authority could complicate ongoing counterterrorism investigations and foreign intelligence operations. They did not specify which active cases might be affected.