By David Morgan and Katharine Jackson
WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) – U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday said President Donald Trump is close to appointing a permanent U.S. intelligence chief, signaling a possible effort to address congressional pushback that has put renewal of a surveillance law at risk.
Johnson’s comments were at odds with earlier reporting that Trump indicated in their meeting he was not inclined to name a permanent director of national intelligence to succeed his pick of loyalist Bill Pulte as acting head.
The White House did not comment.
In a social media post after meeting with Johnson, Trump said Pulte would take over as acting director on June 19. Trump last week named Pulte to replace Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned effective June 30.
Johnson met with Trump as anger about the appointment of Pulte sparked a showdown in the Senate, where Democrats blocked renewal of a foreign surveillance law out of concern over the mortgage regulator’s lack of national security experience and fears he may abuse the position to pursue Trump’s perceived enemies.
Johnson said he and Trump had discussed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act reauthorization and said the president was close to announcing a full-time intelligence chief.
“I do think we’re very close to getting that done, and it’s an important position, and one that I think will be filled by a highly qualified person,” Johnson told reporters.
Such an assurance could assuage some lawmakers’ concerns and help to secure the renewal of Section 702 in the foreign surveillance law.
Johnson repeated that Trump was interviewing five candidates for national intelligence chief.
However, Politico, quoting three people with knowledge of the matter, earlier reported that Trump indicated in the meeting that he was not inclined to name a permanent director of national intelligence to succeed Pulte.
A source briefed on the meeting confirmed the Politico report.
SURVEILLANCE LAW AT RISK
The concerns over the intelligence chief put renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which expires on Friday, at risk.
The provision allows U.S. spy agencies to collect without warrants and to store in a vast database the emails, texts and cellphone data of foreign nationals, including officials and extremists, believed to be outside the U.S.
Seven Republicans joined Democrats in stalling renewal of Section 702 last week. Some want further protections for Americans whose information is inadvertently collected, while others have broader concerns about warrantless surveillance.
U.S. spy chiefs have long defended Section 702, saying it provides an irreplaceable intelligence tool. Its extension must be passed by the Senate and House before Trump can sign it into law.
Stressing that Pulte’s appointment was temporary, Senate Republican Leader John Thune accused Democrats in a floor speech of “holding this vital intelligence program hostage.”
Pulte’s lack of national security experience outraged some Republicans, as well as Democrats.
Democrats also worry that Pulte, who has used his position as head of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency to attack Trump’s political targets, could use the spying powers for political purposes.
Senate Republicans have a 53-47 seat majority and need support from at least seven Democrats to meet the 60-vote threshold for passing the legislation.
Senator John Barrasso, the chamber’s No. 2 Republican, told reporters that Republicans have urged the White House to name a full-time nominee who can be confirmed by the Senate.
He also said some Republicans wonder if it is still necessary for the U.S. to have a director of national intelligence, a post created a quarter-century ago in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.
“There are a number of us that think that this is a position that doesn’t need to be there,” Barrasso said. “As long as it is there, we want somebody that can be confirmed because of their knowledge in the area.”
(Reporting by David Morgan and Katharine Jackson in Washington; Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay, Steve Holland, Bhargav Acharya and Bo Erickson; Editing by Andy Sullivan, Matthew Lewis, Edmund Klamann and Sonali Paul)
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