House Democratic leadership and ranking members of the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees have issued a strong statement opposing the Republican-led vote to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) without what they consider meaningful reforms. The statement, released on June 11, 2026, by Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, Ranking Member Jim Himes, and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, argues that while Section 702 is a critical foreign intelligence tool, reauthorization cannot be supported in good conscience without significant changes to protect both national security and the constitutional privacy rights of Americans.
The lawmakers also sharply criticized the appointment of Bill Pulte as Director of National Intelligence, asserting that Pulte lacks the extensive national security experience required by law. They allege that Pulte's primary qualification appears to be his willingness to search government databases for information on President Trump's political opponents.
The Democratic leaders emphasized that a path to reauthorization exists but requires enacting real reforms, and they oppose the current bill as a mere delay tactic.