Bill Pulte appointed acting Director of National Intelligence as FISA 702 renewal stalls

President Donald Trump announced that Bill Pulte, the current head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, will assume the role of acting Director of National Intelligence on June 19. Pulte has no prior national‑security experience and is expected to oversee staff reductions and a possible purge of employees viewed as political opponents.

Democratic lawmakers have responded by threatening to block the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a key warrantless‑wiretapping provision set to expire this week. The appointment deepens the Senate stalemate over the surveillance law, with Democrats linking Pulte’s selection to broader concerns about politicizing the intelligence community. Pulte can serve in the acting post for up to 210 days, but his tenure is likely to be marked by continued partisan conflict over the future of FISA Section 702.