Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday that the White House is seriously considering a long-term nominee to serve as director of national intelligence, a move that could help break a Senate impasse over renewing key surveillance authorities set to expire Friday.

The South Dakota Republican told reporters he has been in contact with White House officials and suggested President Donald Trump could soon announce a nominee to lead the nation's intelligence agencies on a longer-term basis, reports The Hill. 

"I have not talked to the president, but I've been in contact with somebody over there who cares a lot about this," Thune said. "I think they're weighing seriously a long-term pick."

The comments come as lawmakers face a deadline to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the government to collect communications of foreign targets located outside the United States.

The authority is scheduled to expire Friday unless Congress acts.

Democrats last week blocked a motion to proceed to a House-passed measure extending Section 702, citing concerns over Trump's decision to appoint Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., plans to recommend that Trump select someone other than Pulte to fill the intelligence post permanently, reflecting growing concern among lawmakers that the controversy could jeopardize reauthorization of the surveillance authority, according to reports.

Pulte, who also serves as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has little experience in intelligence or national security matters.

Several Senate Republicans have also questioned the appointment. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., have said Pulte is not qualified to serve as director of national intelligence, the president's chief adviser on intelligence and national security matters.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has noted that Pulte's role is temporary and suggested that naming a permanent nominee could help ease passage of the surveillance extension.

Thune similarly acknowledged Republicans will likely need Democratic support to move the legislation through the Senate and expressed hope that a permanent nominee would help resolve objections.

Democrats have united around a demand that Section 702 not be renewed while Pulte remains in charge of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

"Nobody needs to tell me how important [Section] 702 is, but I also know that someone who doesn't even meet the basic qualifications of the law to be director of national intelligence shouldn't be put in that position, particularly when he's got a history of taking and weaponizing confidential information," Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters.

Warner called Pulte "grossly unqualified."

Democrats have accused Pulte of using access to private mortgage records to advance allegations of criminal wrongdoing against several Trump political opponents, including Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., also criticized Pulte's appointment, calling him a "political hack" and contending negotiations over Section 702 cannot move forward unless the administration changes course.

The White House has defended Pulte and accused Democrats of risking national security by opposing the surveillance extension.

"Holding FISA hostage puts America's national security at risk," White House spokesman Davis Ingle said.

Trump has emphasized that Pulte's appointment is temporary and said he is interviewing candidates for the permanent position. He also told The Wall Street Journal that he wants Pulte to begin reducing the size of the intelligence bureaucracy, which oversees 18 intelligence agencies and components.

"I'd like to see it smaller," Trump told the Journal, adding that there are "a lot of people in there that shouldn't be there."

Trump said Pulte's temporary status gives him greater flexibility to implement reforms before a permanent director is confirmed.