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Thune’s SD SIte
The Leader Board • Remarks
July 22nd, 2026

Democrats Prove Once Again They Are Not Serious About National Security

From Record-Breaking Shutdowns to Blocking FISA and the NDAA, Senate Democrats Eagerly Play Politics With Americans’ Safety

DEMOCRATS UNDERSTOOD THE DANGERS OF LETTING FISA SECTION 702 LAPSE, YET STILL USED THE PRESIDENT’S TEMPORARY INTELLIGENCE CHIEF APPOINTMENT AS AN EXCUSE FOR THEIR RECKLESS OBSTRUCTION OF THIS CRITICAL PROGRAM

  • “Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin… said the department is facing a threat level that’s the ‘highest it’s ever been’ with the lapse of spy powers authorized by Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).” (The Hill: Mullin on FISA lapse: Threat level ‘highest it’s ever been’ – 6/14/26)
  • Democrats clearly understood the negative implications of letting FISA Section 702 authority lapse:
  • But Democrats let the program lapse anyway, under the pretext that the appointment of Bill Pulte – President Trump’s choice to serve in a temporary, acting role as director of national intelligence (DNI) – is cause to derail the bipartisan, bicameral deal to extend the program: (The New York Times: Trump Says Bill Pulte Will Take Over as Intelligence Chief on June 19 – 6/16/26)
    • “Trump’s decision to appoint Bill Pulte—someone with absolutely zero relevant experience—is going to put Americans in danger. Let me repeat, America. With Pulte in charge, we are in danger.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)
    • “We should not reauthorize FISA until there is ZERO CHANCE Bill Pulte (or anyone else with a history of or intent to abuse of power to hurt Trump’s political opponents) gets anywhere near our classified services.” – Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)
    • “The stakes are real. Republicans should join us in insisting a serious intelligence official replace Pulte.” – Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
    • “Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said Tuesday afternoon that ‘the best way to unlock this’ is a long-term DNI being named by the White House.” (Roll Call: Surveillance reauthorization stuck amid Trump’s Pulte pick – 6/9/26)

BUT NOW GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO QUICKLY CONFIRM A PERMANENT AND WIDELY PRAISED DNI, DEMOCRATS ARE SIGNALING THEY WILL AGAIN CAVE TO THEIR FAR-LEFT BASE AND SLOW-WALK THE CONFIRMATION PROCESS, EXTENDING THE SECTION 702 LAPSE

  • “The Senate Intelligence Committee has advanced the nomination of Jay Clayton , President Donald Trump’s pick to head the nation’s intelligence agencies, along party lines. The 9-8 vote came after some Democrats had praised Clayton and indicated that they might vote for him.” (The Washington Post: Senate panel advances Jay Clayton’s nomination to lead US intelligence agencies – 7/21/26)
  • “Confirming Clayton could help shore up enough votes from Democrats to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act…” (Politico: Inside Congress – 6/16/26)
  • “But Clayton won’t be confirmed by the end of this week. Democrats aren’t likely to agree to fast-track Clayton’s nomination, even though doing so would get Bill Pulte out of the DNI job sooner. The first procedural vote could occur as early as Thursday with consent, but even that could be difficult.” (Punchbowl News: AM: House Republicans’ final-week gauntlet – 7/20/26)
  • “The delay also means reauthorizing FISA Section 702 will have to wait until next week. The House will already be gone for the August recess, so the FISA lapse would continue into September.” (Punchbowl News: AM: House Republicans’ final-week gauntlet – 7/20/26)
  • “Clayton is a lawyer who has been the U.S. attorney for the southern district of New York since 2025, where he has secured indictments for high-profile foreign and domestic defendants including former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and two men who allegedly attempted a terrorist attack on the New York mayoral residence in March. Though he faced tough questions [last] Wednesday, his nomination last month drew praise from several Democrats.” (The Hill: Democrats press intel nominee Jay Clayton in tense confirmation hearing – 7/15/26)
  • Democrats are siding with the far-left of their party in opposing and slow-walking another highly qualified candidate while letting FISA Section 702 continue to be lapsed:
    • “Andrew O’Neill, national advocacy director for the Democratic resistance group Indivisible, said he was concerned to see some Democrats praise Jay Clayton, Trump’s permanent pick for the intelligence job.” (The Associated Press: Emboldened Senate Democrats block even bipartisan bills in hardball approach to counter Trump – 6/13/26)
    • “Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said Sunday that he’ll vote against President Trump’s nominee Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence, citing disappointment in his testimony at a confirmation hearing last week despite his previous optimism about the nominee.” (CBS News: Mark Warner says he will vote against Trump pick Jay Clayton as DNI – 7/19/26)

IT’S NOT JUST FISA: DEMOCRATS TANKED A PROCEDURAL VOTE ON THE BIPARTISAN NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT (NDAA), A BILL THAT CONTAINED NUMEROUS DEMOCRAT PRIORITIES AND AMENDMENTS

“Senator Schumer has chosen to block a bipartisan NDAA from advancing on the Senate floor. He has delayed a bill that prioritizes our military service members and ensures they are better prepared for the challenges ahead. The NDAA would have included another 86 amendments, split evenly between Republicans and Democrats. These amendments included bipartisan packages on crime and drugs, bipartisan provisions to ensure America stays ahead of China on chips and artificial intelligence, and bipartisan oversight measures for the State Department and intelligence community.” – Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)

  • “On a nearly party-line vote of 50 to 46, Republicans fell short of the 60 votes they needed to bring up the bill for debate, leaving uncertain the fate of a vital measure setting Pentagon policy and program funding.” (The New York Times: Senate Democrats Block Defense Bill Over War in Iran – 7/14/26)
  • “The NDAA typically passes with strong bipartisan support… Historically seen by both parties as ‘must-pass legislation,’ the NDAA is one of the few major bills that always passes, having become law annually for more than six decades.” (Reuters: US Senate Democrats block $1.15 trillion defense bill over Iran war objections – 7/14/26)
  • The $1.15 trillion NDAA heavily emphasizes innovation and procurement of munitions, Air Force fighters, shipbuilding, and unmanned systems. (U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services: Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act – accessed 7/22/26)
  • The NDAA also includes over 1,100 member priorities from every senator. (Sen. Wicker: Chairman Wicker Issues Statement on the NDAA – 7/15/26)
  • By blocking consideration of the NDAA, Senate Democrats voted against priorities such as cracking down on Russia’s shadow fleet, and a slew of authorization provisions. (U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services: Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act – accessed 7/22/26)
  • Democrats once recognized the importance of passing a bipartisan NDAA:
  • “Many feared that it wouldn’t pass, given the polarization, given the late date. But no, we’re passing the NDAA, and that’s a very good thing. This NDAA isn’t perfect, but it still includes some very good things that Democrats fought for.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (12/18/24)
  • “We are facing a number of global challenges, and this legislation is critical to ensuring our military remains the strongest in the world. It includes key provisions I secured to improve quality of life for servicemembers and their families, support improvements at military installations across Virginia, and advance our national security interests.” – Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) (12/18/24)
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