Trump upends surveillance fight

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Thursday that President Trump backs his proposal to include reforms to the surveillance court as part of a bill reauthorizing expiring intelligence programs, complicating the path forward for the legislation.

“The [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] FISA reforms that I think are very necessary is that FISA warrants shouldn’t be issued on Americans and any information gathered by the FISA court shouldn’t be used against Americans. It’s for foreign intelligence. This is a big reform. … I think it will get bipartisan support. I’ve talked to the president about it,” Paul said.

Paul said he would insist on a vote to get the reforms to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court he is pushing for included in any bill to reauthorize three expiring provisions of the USA Freedom Act.

“He’s supportive of my amendment,” Paul added, when asked about his conversation with the president.

Trump’s decision to back including reforms to the surveillance court in the intelligence bill puts him at odds with Senate GOP leadership and Attorney General William Barr, who told Republican senators in a closed-door lunch on Tuesday that the president would back a clean extension.