On Thursday afternoon, 90,000 fans will crowd the stands of the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City to watch the kickoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Over the next month, millions of Americans and international fans will travel to watch their teams compete, culminating in the final match in New Jersey on July 19. Appallingly, their safety and security may very well be in jeopardy if the unimaginable happens and Congressional Democrats permit a critical intelligence authority to lapse on Friday night simply over a temporary presidential appointment.

As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I have seen firsthand how critical Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is to keeping Americans safe. FISA 702 authorizes the United States intelligence community to gather intelligence against certain foreigners overseas through their electronic communications. As a foreign intelligence tool, the government is prohibited from using FISA 702 to target U.S. nationals or anyone in the United States.