Himes says Pulte in intelligence role is Trump's "worst and most dangerous" appointment
Summary
Representative Jim Himes criticized President Donald Trump's appointment of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, saying Pulte lacks national security experience. The appointment comes just before a key surveillance law, Section 702, is set to expire, raising concerns about intelligence operations and bipartisan support for renewing the law.Key Facts
- Bill Pulte, previously director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, was appointed acting director of national intelligence by President Trump.
- Pulte's appointment has received criticism from Democrats and some Republicans for lacking national security experience.
- Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows certain warrantless surveillance, expires on Friday.
- This law is considered important for preventing terrorist attacks and stopping foreign spying, drug trafficking, and cyber attacks.
- Congress has extended Section 702 twice before but has not yet agreed on a long-term renewal.
- The House passed a three-year extension earlier, but it stalled in the Senate due to unrelated issues.
- Some Senators have asked the government to prepare for losing valuable intelligence if Section 702 expires without renewal.
- Representative Himes suggested President Trump should remove Pulte and appoint someone with more experience to restore trust.
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