--- title: Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Vote May Be Postponed description: Congress may postpone a vote on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act after President Trump tweeted against his own bill. canonical: https://time.com/5098810/donald-trump-foreign-intelligence-surveillance-act-fisa/ author: W.J. Hennigan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-11T15:37:26.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T18:50:48.859Z article:section: Politics og:title: Congress May Postpone Vote After Trump Tweeted Against His Own Bill og:description: He may have been watching Fox News. og:url: https://time.com/5098810/donald-trump-foreign-intelligence-surveillance-act-fisa/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2c23fc2eac6311ce/6988f7d38fd2ee746735a4ab/donald-trump-mueller.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: President Trump Welcomes Norway's Prime Minister Solberg To The White House og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Congress May Postpone Vote After Trump Tweeted Against His Own Bill twitter:description: He may have been watching Fox News. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2c23fc2eac6311ce/6988f7d38fd2ee746735a4ab/donald-trump-mueller.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Trump Tweeted Against His Own Bill. Now Congress May Delay the Vote > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=156e36bc-31fa-422a-b9f4-9f5ca2835b13&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=156e36bc-31fa-422a-b9f4-9f5ca2835b13&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=156e36bc-31fa-422a-b9f4-9f5ca2835b13&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=156e36bc-31fa-422a-b9f4-9f5ca2835b13&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [W.J. Hennigan](https://time.com/author/w-j-hennigan/)  ## W.J. Hennigan Jan 11, 2018 3:37 PM UTC  U.S. President Donald Trump greets Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway upon his arrival at the West Wing of the White House, on January 10, 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump greets Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway upon his arrival at the West Wing of the White House, on January 10, 2018 Mark Wilson—Getty Images  by [W.J. Hennigan](https://time.com/author/w-j-hennigan/)  ## W.J. Hennigan Jan 11, 2018 3:37 PM UTC President Donald Trump’s morning penchant for firing off controversial messages on Twitter potentially derailed his administration’s policy Thursday, after he came out against a [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act renewal](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/01/11/house-vote-privacy-advocates-offer-changes-controversial-surveillance/1020930001/) his own Administration is pushing. The tweet came just hours before the House was preparing a much-anticipated vote on a six-year extension of Section 702 of the FISA program, which allows U.S. intelligence agencies to monitor foreign communications. U.S. intelligence officials insist the program is a vital source of intercepting warning signs of potential attacks and information on terror suspects. Critics of the program say it enables warrantless collection of U.S. citizens’ communications. This morning, Fox News ran a segment on the renewal that included criticism of the law, leading some critics to blame the president’s [reported habit of watching cable TV](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/09/us/politics/donald-trump-president.html?%5Fr=0). Trump’s tweet also referenced his claim, [since refuted by the Department of Justice](http://time.com/4926141/barack-obama-donald-trump-wiretap-doj/), that the Obama Administration wiretapped his phone during the 2016 campaign. “This is the act that may have been used, with the help of the discredited and phony Dossier, to so badly surveil and abuse the Trump Campaign by the previous administration and others?” Trump tweeted. > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/951431836030459905) The remark was curious considering the Trump Administration had vehemently backed the reauthorization of the program. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders [issued a statement](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-press-secretary-18/) Wednesday night, saying the “administration urges the House … to preserve the useful role FISA’s Section 702 authority plays in protecting American lives.” About 90 minutes after his initial tweet, Trump followed up with another one that seemingly reversed his opinion of the program, which is set to expire January 19. “With that being said, I have personally directed the fix to the unmasking process since taking office and today’s vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land. We need it! Get smart!” he said > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/951457382651056128) Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, seized on the two tweets by moving to postpone the vote “in light of the irresponsible and inherently contradictory messages coming out of the White House today.” NBC News reported that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi [asked for a delay](https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/951475224922517504) as well. “I recommend we withdraw consideration of the bill today to give us more time to address privacy questions that have been raised, as well as to get a clear statement from the administration about their position on the bill,” Schiff said on the House floor. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5098810/donald-trump-foreign-intelligence-surveillance-act-fisa/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5098810/donald-trump-foreign-intelligence-surveillance-act-fisa/"},"headline":"President Trump Tweeted Against His Own Bill. Now Congress May Delay the Vote","datePublished":"2018-01-11T15:37:26.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T18:50:48.859Z","description":"He may have been watching Fox News","url":"https://time.com/5098810/donald-trump-foreign-intelligence-surveillance-act-fisa/","keywords":["Congress","White House","twitter","fisa","intelligence","Donald Trump"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2c23fc2eac6311ce/6988f7d38fd2ee746735a4ab/donald-trump-mueller.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"W.J. Hennigan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/w-j-hennigan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2c23fc2eac6311ce/6988f7d38fd2ee746735a4ab/donald-trump-mueller.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"President Trump Welcomes Norway's Prime Minister Solberg To The White House","caption":"President Trump Welcomes Norway's Prime Minister Solberg To The White House","creditText":"Mark Wilson—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5098810/donald-trump-foreign-intelligence-surveillance-act-fisa/","name":"President Trump Tweeted Against His Own Bill. Now Congress May Delay the Vote"}}]}] ```