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Dozens of Democrats in the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives helped the GOP send a key spying bill to the Senate on Wednesday, earning sharp condemnation from the diverse movement that has called for privacy reforms.

The House voted 235-191 in favor of the bill released last week by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who has been trying for months to get an extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to President Donald Trump’s desk.

FISA’s Section 702 allows the U.S. government to surveil electronic communications of noncitizens located outside the United States to acquire foreign intelligence information, without a warrant. However, Americans’ data is also swept up, and civil society, along with some lawmakers from both major parties, has demanded reforms to prevent further abuse by federal agencies.

In the lead-up to the vote, progressives such as Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) warned that “this bill has no meaningful reforms to stop warrantless surveillance, directly undermining the Fourth Amendment” to the U.S. Constitution, which is supposed to protect Americans against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Another “Squad” member, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), took to the House floor to blast Section 702 as “a dangerous mass surveillance tool” that “has been used to spy on Black Lives Matter protesters, members of Congress, journalists, and more.”

Trump Is Rapidly Expanding the Surveillance State as Protests Grow

However, 42 Democrats — including House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Ranking Member Jim Himes (Conn.) — still joined most House Republicans in advancing the legislation.

“It’s incredibly disappointing the House approved this measure,” said Jake Laperruque, deputy director of the Center for Democracy and Technology’s Security and Surveillance Project, in a statement. “This bill is empty calories through and through. It........

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