Congress Will Not Pass Defense Bill Without FISA Reform

Senator Mike Lee's Statement

Senator Lee: "I will not vote for a defense bill that does not include meaningful FISA reform."

Congress will not pass the defense bill without FISA reform, according to Senator Mike Lee (R-UT). Lee made the statement in a press release on Wednesday, saying that he will not vote for a defense bill that does not include meaningful FISA reform.

FISA, or the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, is a law that allows the government to collect intelligence on foreign targets. However, Lee and other critics of FISA say that the law has been abused to spy on Americans without a warrant.

Lee's statement comes as Congress is debating the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023. The NDAA is a must-pass bill that authorizes funding for the Department of Defense. However, Lee and other Republicans have said that they will not vote for the NDAA unless it includes FISA reform.

The Biden administration has said that it is open to discussing FISA reform, but it has not yet made any specific proposals. It is unclear whether the administration will be able to reach an agreement with Congress on FISA reform before the end of the year.