Key facts
- Senator Lindsey Graham is urging President Donald Trump to proceed with Jay Clayton's confirmation as Director of National Intelligence.
- President Trump had previously halted the nomination process for Clayton.
- Trump linked the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to the passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.
- Senator Mark Warner indicated that sufficient Democratic votes exist for FISA reauthorization.
- Graham warned that letting FISA lapse is dangerous, particularly amid current global threats.
Senator Lindsey Graham has publicly urged President Donald Trump to proceed with the confirmation of Jay Clayton as the Director of National Intelligence. Graham expressed concern that Trump's insistence on linking FISA reauthorization to unrelated legislative demands, such as stricter voting requirements and a ban on transgender women in sports, could jeopardize national security.
Graham stated he informed Trump that allowing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to lapse, especially during the current conflict with Iran, would be a significant mistake. He also noted that Senator Mark Warner indicated there are enough Democratic votes to pass FISA, a point Trump had apparently been misinformed about, which served as part of his justification for delaying Clayton's confirmation hearings. Graham believes Clayton is the ideal candidate for DNI and that his confirmation should not be held up by these conditions.