President Donald Trump is moving forward with Bill Pulte as the acting director of national intelligence, bypassing a Senate effort to block the nomination.
Pulte is expected to assume the role on Friday, just as a critical piece of U.S. surveillance law faces expiration.
The development comes after the U.S. House rejected a proposal to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act through early July.
The vote pushes the authority for foreign intelligence surveillance toward a hard stop at the end of the week, creating a potential legal gap for intelligence operations.
Pulte’s appointment follows Trump’s decision to halt the nomination of U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.
The shift in personnel coincides with heightened congressional scrutiny over the direction of the intelligence community and the legal frameworks governing its activities.