WASHINGTON -- Legislation to extend surveillance authorities was thrown in doubt Wednesday as President Donald Trump, the Justice Department and congressional Republicans all came out in opposition.
The legislation passed the House with bipartisan support in March after Attorney General William Barr negotiated a deal with Republican and Democratic House leaders. But that consensus began to crumble after Trump signaled he would veto the latest version of the bill, which was amended by the Senate.
The Justice Department on Wednesday announced its opposition to the legislation, including a proposed House amendment that would place restrictions on searches of Americans' internet browsing history. Hours later, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said it was time to take a "pause" on the legislation.
The Republican criticism could be a fatal blow to the prospects of renewing the surveillance law, as the bill also faces opposition from some Democrats concerned about civil liberties.
The House had been expected to start voting on the legislation Wednesday, but it was unclear how Democratic leaders would move forward. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters that "we will act upon it today, one way or another."
But the new impasse raised the potential for the surveillance powers to remain expired indefinitely.
Trump, still seething over the Russia investigation, implored all House Republicans in a Tuesday evening tweet to vote no on the bill "until such time as our Country is able to determine how and why the greatest political, criminal, and subversive scandal in USA history took place!"
The Justice Department said it opposes both the proposed House amendment to restrict internet searches and language added by the Senate earlier this month to boost third-party oversight to protect individuals in some surveillance cases.
"If the Democrats bring this bill up they're just playing politics," McCarthy said. "And this is not something to play politics with."
A Section on 05/28/2020