US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that new acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) William Pulte will begin work on June 19.
"William Pulte, who is working closely with Tulsi Gabbard, will be taking over as Acting Director of National Intelligence on Friday, June 19th," Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump said Pulte will remain as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The DNI is responsible for overseeing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a surveillance authority that permits the government to collect communications of foreign nationals located outside the United States without individual warrants.
However, Democratic lawmakers are refusing to support a FISA reauthorization as long as Pulte remains in the nation's top intelligence position, citing his close ties to the president and limited national security experience.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that FISA must be reauthorized.
"We can't let it go dark. It expires on Friday, and we in the House passed a reauthorization of FISA back on April 29, and it had some more meaningful reforms to tighten it up and make sure that it works well and as designed. We passed that; it's been sitting in the Senate," Johnson told the reporters.
Johnson said Democrats in the upper chamber decided that they do not want to reauthorize FISA "because the president announced an interim appointment, a short-term appointment for something they disagreed with."
Any legislation extending Section 702 would require 60 votes to clear the Senate, meaning Republicans, who hold 53 seats, would need Democratic support.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer previously said Pulte's appointment has made passing an extension "much harder."
