A key spy authority, Section 702, is expiring due to inaction in Congress. Here's what happens next.

Key Points:

• Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a key tool allowing warrantless foreign intelligence collection, is set to expire at midnight Saturday without an 11th-hour renewal due to opposition linked to President Trump's nominee for intelligence director.
• The provision enables the government to collect electronic communications from foreigners abroad and is considered crucial for national security, providing about 60% of the president's daily intelligence briefing.
• Despite expiration concerns, experts and some lawmakers assert surveillance activities will continue under existing court certifications until March 2027, though cooperation from communications providers after expiration is uncertain.
• Lawmakers warn that letting Section 702 lapse could lead to increasingly outdated intelligence databases and pose national security risks, while some Republicans and analysts downplay the immediate threat of operational disruption.
• The House has recessed until June 23 without resolving the renewal, raising questions about the government's ability to maintain intelligence operations seamlessly during the lapse.