Defense intelligence leaders have expressed their support for the renewal of a surveillance authority.
Testifying before the House Armed Services’ Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee on Thursday, three officials advocated for the extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which enables the collection of electronic intelligence against non-U.S. persons overseas under federal court supervision, the Department of Defense said on Friday.
These activities are authorized by Section 702 of the act, which National Security Agency Director Gen. Timothy Haugh, a 2024 Wash100 Award winner, said “is absolutely critical to our foreign intelligence mission.”
“There is no substitute for this authority,” said Haugh, who also serves as commander of the U.S. Cyber Command. “The timely, actionable information it provides cannot be replicated by other means.”
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and a fellow 2024 Wash100 awardee, said reauthorizing FISA Section 702 is one way Congress “can provide its most effective support and defense of the nation.”
While DIA does not operate under this authority, “our all-source analysis mission, our ability to operationalize intelligence, and our support to Congress is dependent on those who do,” he added.
Milancy Harris, acting undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security, noted that keeping pace with China is still the DOD’s top priority.
“Our network of regional allies and partners is deep, wide, strong and committed to a shared vision of peace, stability and deterrence,” she said.
“The trajectory and rate of change in the national security arena is perhaps the highest and most consequential we’ve seen in our lifetime,” Kruse noted.