President Donald Trump maintained his selection of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence on Wednesday, despite mounting bipartisan pressure from Congress as a crucial foreign surveillance law approaches its Friday midnight expiration.

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows U.S. agencies including the CIA, NSA and FBI to collect communications from foreign targets overseas without warrants, faces a potential lapse. Democrats have refused to support the law's renewal unless Trump withdraws Pulte's appointment and nominates a permanent replacement with Senate confirmation.

Pulte, currently director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has drawn criticism from both parties over his lack of intelligence experience. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republican leaders have conveyed their concerns to the White House about the appointment. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries called Pulte "deeply unqualified" for the position.

Trump requested a short-term extension from Congress on Wednesday to allow time for selecting and confirming a permanent director, while defending his choice to maintain Pulte in the acting role. The president said he is interviewing five candidates with national security backgrounds for the permanent position and indicated Pulte would serve only briefly to help "downsize" intelligence agencies.

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced plans for a Thursday vote on a stopgap measure extending the program through July 2, though passage appears uncertain. Senate Democrats rejected a Republican proposal for a short-term extension, maintaining their demand for Pulte's immediate removal.

The impasse comes as the U.S. prepares for World Cup events in multiple cities and approaches the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations. Intelligence committee leaders from both parties have warned the administration to prepare for a potential significant gap in foreign intelligence collection if the authority expires.