Bill Pulte's DNI appointment threatens renewal of US FISA surveillance law

President Donald Trump has kept Bill Pulte, a federal housing finance regulator with no intelligence background, as acting director of national intelligence despite bipartisan calls for a permanent, qualified nominee. Democrats on Capitol Hill say they will not support a short‑term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) unless Trump withdraws Pulte and names a permanent director. The House is set to vote on a temporary FISA extension, but passage looks unlikely, and the Senate may follow suit. The law, which allows agencies such as the CIA, NSA and FBI to collect foreign communications without a warrant, expires at midnight on Friday. Lawmakers warn that a lapse could limit the United States’ ability to gather intelligence abroad just as major events, including World Cup games and the nation’s 250th‑anniversary celebrations, unfold. Both parties criticize Pulte’s qualifications, with House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries calling him a “disgraceful individual” and a “partisan political hack.” Trump says the short‑term extension is needed to allow time to select and confirm a permanent DNI.