Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky announced Wednesday he will vote against the FISA Section 702 reauthorization bill unless it includes a warrant requirement for accessing Americans' communications. [1]

"I vote with GOP 91% of the time, but that's about to go to 90%," Massie wrote, framing the issue as constitutional bedrock rather than partisan maneuvering. The stance puts him at odds with the White House, which has pushed for a clean extension without new civil liberties protections. [2]

The Liberty Caucus member's opposition comes as Congress faces an April 20 deadline for Section 702, the provision that permits government surveillance of foreign targets abroad but has been repeatedly used to sweep up American citizens' data without judicial approval. Senators Dick Durbin and Mike Lee introduced companion legislation in February to impose new limits, but momentum for reform has stalled against administration resistance.

Massie's position sharpens an uncomfortable contradiction within the Republican coalition. The same party that ran on government overreach now faces a vote to extend warrantless domestic surveillance — with its own president demanding they do exactly that. The Fourth Amendment, Massie is arguing, does not come with a party loyalty exception.

The House vote is expected before the weekend.

— SAMUEL CRANE, Washington