Rep. Sykes Votes Against Extending Warrantless Surveillance Powers Without New Safeguards

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) voted against S.1318, a Republican-led reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), saying Congress should not renew the authority without strong, independent oversight.

"Congress shouldn't be giving this administration blanket authority to spy on Americans," said Rep. Sykes. "Section 702 has been abused before, and independent oversight is being weakened by President Trump. We need real guardrails to protect both our national security and Americans' basic rights."

The legislation would extend Section 702 surveillance for three years, allowing the government to collect intelligence on foreign nationals overseas, a process that also sweeps up Americans' communications.

Concerns over misuse have been documented for years. In 2022, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court identified improper FBI searches, including queries involving elected officials, political donors, and Black Lives Matter protesters. More recently, the court found certain search practices violated federal law.

Despite reforms passed in 2024 to improve transparency, President Trump has removed key watchdogs, including members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, and reassigned or eliminated internal compliance roles at the Department of Justice and FBI.

The House passed S.1318, and it now heads to the president's desk.