Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., said Thursday on Newsmax that reforms enacted in recent years have made the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) more accountable and effective, arguing that Congress should approve a short-term extension of the surveillance authority.

"FISA, this is incredibly important," Johnson said on "Wake Up America," describing it as a set of authorities that "protect Americans."

Johnson pointed to reforms approved by Congress after concerns about government misuse of surveillance tools, saying lawmakers put "dozens of protections" in place to hold federal agencies accountable.

"We shrunk the number of CIA folks, FBI folks that can access this information down to a tiny fraction of what it was," Johnson said.

"We made it so that people can go to jail if they improperly access this information," he added.

According to Johnson, the changes have successfully addressed many of the concerns raised by critics.

"We know that those reforms are working," he said.

Johnson warned that allowing the authority to lapse would create national security risks at a time of heightened global threats and major events in the United States.

"If this authority goes dark, Americans will be at risk," he said. "President [Donald] Trump is asking us to reauthorize it. I'm going to be voting yes on a short-term extension."

Johnson also criticized opposition to the temporary extension, arguing lawmakers should prioritize security while longer-term issues are debated.

"Let's keep our country safe during things like the World Cup, during our 250th birthday celebration, while we work out the details," he said.

"The fact that they won't even give a short-term extension, I think, shows that they have the wrong approach."

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