And #Trump threatened to block the extension of the powerful #surveillance statute, § 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or #FISA, which expired Saturday, unless a measure to reauthorize it was attached to #elections #legislation that would impose #national restrictions on #voter #identification & #registration.
Senate majority leader John Thune (R-SD) said repeatedly the elections measure does not have sufficient votes to pass & warned attaching it would “tank” the FISA bill.
The president cannot cancel a #Senate hearing, which is set by the panel holding it. But Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) & chair of the #Intelligence Cmte, said in a social media post that Clayton’s hearing would be postponed after #Trump directed Clayton “not to appear.”
Trump’s statement adds to the challenges for Thune, who has faced intense pressure from right-wing lawmakers to push through Trump’s long-sought #election bill.
#VotingRights #Constitution #democracy #VoterSuppression #coup