Kerry Picket
Articles by Kerry Picket
Senators want changes to House-passed aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan but bill on fast track
The Senate is expected to easily pass the House's $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan this week but not before several senators who oppose the bundle have their say. Published April 22, 2024
Spies get green light to snoop, for now, as Biden signs FISA extension reaching into Americans’ data
The intelligence community won a new expansion of snooping powers from Congress but opponents managed to cut the extension to just two years, meaning Capitol Hill will revisit the fight a lot sooner than the spy community had wanted. Published April 21, 2024
Senate clears key government surveillance tool shortly after midnight lapse
The Senate voted to reauthorize the government's chief surveillance tool early Saturday, clearing the measure for President Biden's signature with only a brief lapse of the spying power. Published April 20, 2024
Schumer, McConnell call for swift renewal of key spy law before deadline
The top Senate Democratic and GOP leaders called on lawmakers Friday to unite behind the government surveillance reauthorization bill before the legislation's key spying component expires at midnight. Published April 19, 2024
Senate advances FISA’s powerful spy power tool that may lapse Friday
Senate lawmakers advanced legislation to reauthorize a critical government surveillance tool, but bipartisan opposition may prevent final passage in time to stop a lapse of the law at midnight Friday. Published April 18, 2024
Whistleblowers accuse senior Army officials of lying about National Guard response on Jan. 6
National Guard whistleblowers accused Army brass of lying about why the National Guard was delayed in their deployment to the U.S. Capitol during the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Published April 17, 2024
Senators balk at surveillance law expansion that could loop in cable providers
An obscure provision in legislation to reauthorize the government's chief spying tool has raised new alarms in the Senate as it scrambles to renew the authority by a Friday deadline. Published April 16, 2024
Johnson puts forth separate House measures on Ukraine and Israel this week
House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed on Monday night his proposal to pass four separate measures this week to send aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, risking his speakership if he advanced any funding legislation for Ukraine. Published April 15, 2024
House FISA legislation heads to Senate after failed last-ditch bid to stop it
A bill reauthorizing the government's chief spying tool is on its way to the Senate after House lawmakers on Monday swatted down a last-ditch bid to block it. Published April 15, 2024
GOP privacy hawks get another chance to torpedo FISA
A group of House Republicans will get another chance to sink the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act's warrantless spying with a vote to reconsider the bill's passage. Published April 15, 2024
Whistleblower testimony to shed light on National Guard’s delayed response to Jan. 6 riot at Capitol
House lawmakers this week will hear from whistleblowers who say they have information about why the National Guard's response to the Capitol riot was severely delayed. Published April 15, 2024
Speaker Mike Johnson explains his flip-flop on warrants for FISA spying on Americans
House Speaker Mike Johnson once wanted to add a warrant requirement to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act before switching his position -- a switch this week that helped derail the renewal of the spying law. Published April 11, 2024
House derails vote to renew FISA after Trump trashes the bill
A bill to reauthorize the government's top power was blocked from reaching a floor vote on Wednesday by a group of Republicans who wanted more restrictions placed on the FBI. Published April 10, 2024
Speaker Johnson’s message to Trump: FISA overhaul would ‘kill the abuses’ of FBI, intel agencies
House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to tell former President Donald Trump why GOP leadership wants to reauthorize the government's chief spying tool. Published April 10, 2024
Fight over FISA heads to a House vote
Lawmakers on the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees faced off over an overhaul of the government's top spying tool on Tuesday ahead of the House's expected vote on it this week. Published April 9, 2024
Speaker Johnson to vote against warrant requirement for FISA spying on Americans
House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to vote against requiring the government to get a warrant when using its power to spy on email, phone calls and texts, a lawmaker close to the speaker told The Washington Times. Published April 9, 2024
FISA fight heats up among Republicans as deadline looms
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican, took a swipe at national security hawks over their insistence that the government's top spying tool be reauthorized without a warrant requirement. Published April 8, 2024
Texas GOP lawmaker to run full-page ad in New York paper urging cops to move to the Lone Star state
Texas is busing illegal immigrants to New York City, but one of its lawmakers is calling for New York cops to pack their bags and move to the Lone Star state. Published April 8, 2024
Congress takes up fight over snooping; security officials oppose changes to federal spy powers
National security officials have mounted a full-court press in recent weeks to try to head off major changes to the government's most important snooping authority, warning Capitol Hill that terrorists will benefit if lawmakers require the FBI to get a warrant before querying Americans' names in its massive trove of data. Published April 7, 2024
Speaker Johnson pushes lawmakers to support FISA reauthorization vote next week
House Speaker Mike Johnson told lawmakers in a "dear colleague" letter that he would bring a bill to the floor that reauthorizes the government's most powerful spying tool, pushing them to get behind the bill that overhauls the law but does not rein in warrantless surveillance of electronic communication abroad that sometimes snares Americans. Published April 5, 2024