A critical US surveillance law faces an uncertain future as House Speaker Mike Johnson’s assertion that President Donald Trump is close to naming a permanent intelligence chief clashes with earlier reports suggesting the president has no such inclination.

The conflicting signals emerge amid a fierce congressional battle over the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which is set to expire on Friday.

Johnson stated on Tuesday that Trump was nearing an appointment for a full-time director of national intelligence, a move that could potentially ease congressional concerns that have jeopardized the surveillance program’s reauthorization.

“I do think we’re very close to getting that done, and it’s an important position, and one that I think will be filled by a highly qualified person,” Johnson told reporters, adding that Trump was interviewing five candidates.

However, this account stands in stark contrast to earlier reporting by Politico, which, citing three individuals with knowledge of the matter, indicated Trump had expressed disinterest in naming a permanent DNI to succeed Bill Pulte. A source briefed on the meeting later confirmed the Politico report. The White House has not commented on the matter.

The controversy stems from Trump’s decision last week to name Pulte, currently the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as acting director of national intelligence, replacing Tulsi Gabbard, who resigns on June 30. Pulte is slated to take over on June 19.

His appointment has sparked outrage among Democrats and some Republicans due to his lack of national security experience. Critics fear Pulte could abuse the position to target Trump’s perceived enemies, given his history of using his housing agency role for political attacks.

This uproar has stalled the renewal of Section 702 in the Senate. The provision allows US spy agencies to collect, without warrants, the emails, texts, and cellphone data of foreign nationals believed to be outside the US and to store this information in a vast database.

While spy chiefs defend it as an irreplaceable intelligence tool, seven Republicans joined Democrats last week in blocking its renewal. Some lawmakers demand greater protections for Americans whose data is inadvertently collected, while others harbor broader concerns about warrantless surveillance.

Senate Republican Leader John Thune accused Democrats of “holding this vital intelligence program hostage,” stressing that Pulte’s appointment was temporary. Meanwhile, Senator John Barrasso, the chamber’s No. 2 Republican, confirmed that Republicans have urged the White House to nominate a full-time candidate who can be confirmed by the Senate.

Barrasso also noted that some Republicans question the necessity of the DNI post itself, which was established after the September 11, 2001, attacks. “There are a number of us that think that this is a position that doesn’t need to be there,” Barrasso said. “As long as it is there, we want somebody that can be confirmed because of their knowledge in the area.”

With a 53-47 majority, Senate Republicans need at least seven Democratic votes to reach the 60-vote threshold required for the legislation to pass before Trump can sign it into law. The fate of the critical surveillance program now hangs in the balance, intertwined with the contentious leadership of the nation’s intelligence apparatus.