House Democrats helped Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) overcome a GOP rebellion on Wednesday to pass a three-year extension of a key government surveillance program that allows warrantless wiretapping of noncitizens.
In a bipartisan vote, the House voted 235-191 to reauthorize section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The measure only passed because of Democratic support.
Given the narrow House majority and absences, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) could only afford to lose one Republican vote on the measure. Overall, 22 Republicans voted against the measure, but those defections were offset by 42 Democrats voting in favor.
The passage of the three-year extension of the spy program is a significant victory for Johnson, who has worked for over a month to strike a deal with privacy hawks and members of the House Intelligence Committee.
Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), the ranking member of the intelligence panel, was one of the 42 Democrats
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