AMNA NAWAZ: This Friday is the deadline for Congress to reauthorize a key tool for collecting foreign intelligence, a deadline it is not on pace to meet.

Critics on the left and the right argue it's prone to abuse.

Some supporters say they won't back it until President Trump pulls his pick to oversee the intelligence community.

And all of that is unfolding as the president pledges more strikes in Iran and insists a cease-fire remains in place.

Congressman Mike McCaul of Texas is the former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Homeland Security Committee.

He joins us now.

Congressman, welcome back to the show.

Thanks for joining us.

REP.

MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-TX): Thanks for having me, Amna.

AMNA NAWAZ: So let's start with Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, expires at the end of the week if Congress doesn't reauthorize it.

You have worked on FISA applications as a former federal prosecutor.

Help us understand the stakes.

What's the impact if it's not reauthorized?

REP.

MICHAEL MCCAUL: The stakes are very high.

I would say the majority of the presidential briefing, intelligence briefing, comes from FISA-collected 702 information.

This gives us the ability to see out outside the country threats that could come inside the country.

And so what particularly bothers me is to go dark during a time we have a war with Iran, all the threats around the globe, but particularly also, we have the FIFA World Cup games coming up and also the 250th anniversary events that will happen on the Fourth of July.

This is a perfect storm.

If we go dark right before these games and something happens, there's going to be a political blame game all around the Hill.

And I think everyone will be at fault for this.

We have to get this reauthorized.

AMNA NAWAZ: Well, you have heard objections from Democrats, right?

They say they won't reauthorize it until Bill Pulte, who is the president's pick to lead the intelligence agencies, is pulled.

I should point out, you have said that you don't believe he's qualified for this role as DNI, director of national intelligence.

And you have also talked about the immense power that comes with overseeing this FISA program.

So why put that program in the hands of someone that you don't think is qualified for the job?

REP.

MICHAEL MCCAUL: Well, I can't speak for the president.

I can tell you he is not statutorily qualified.

The statute says extensive national security and intelligence background.

Mr.

Pulte has none of that.

I know that Senator Warner's called for the deputy director of national intelligence to assume that role.

That individual, Mr.

Lukas, has about 20 years in the intelligence community of five years, former chief of station with the CIA.

I think that's the kind of caliber you want in that job.

We're just asking for something bad to happen.

AMNA NAWAZ: Am I hearing you right in saying your concerns about going dark right now outweigh putting something as powerful as the FISA program in the hands of someone who's not qualified to lead that role?

Is that what you're saying?

REP.

MICHAEL MCCAUL: Well, he's an acting director of national intelligence.

AMNA NAWAZ: He would still oversee the program in an acting role, right?

(CROSSTALK) REP.

MICHAEL MCCAUL: Would I prefer to see someone else?

Sure.

I prefer to see someone who is -- who meets the definition under the statute, who is qualified, has extensive national security and intelligence background.

I hope we can resolve this for the American people, because they're the ones who are going to be the losers if Congress can't get its act together.

AMNA NAWAZ: While I have you, I want to ask you about the U.S.

war in Iran right now.

We have heard President Trump pledge more strikes tonight.

Secretary Hegseth has just recently repeated that as well.

We saw Iran and the U.S.

trade fire last night as well.

It's fair to say there's no longer a cessation in firing.

So is the cease-fire over, in your view?

REP.

MICHAEL MCCAUL: Well, of course, we had the helicopter, our helicopter shot down by an Iranian drone during a cease-fire.

That's not good.

It's not good faith on part of Iran.

I have to be honest with you, Amna.

All along, I have had very little faith in these negotiations.

Iran has a history of not negotiating in good faith and not being truthful, especially with inspections.

I worry with the wartime, war powers resolution passing last week that Iran feels a bit emboldened that the Congress is not in favor of this.

And so that only strengthens Iran's hand.

I personally think that they're going to try to negotiate this as long as they can all the way up to the midterms.

I think, at some point, the president's going to take action against them.

This ends only two ways, through a negotiation, which we're all hopeful for, or by force.

And it's only one or two options here.

AMNA NAWAZ: Well, the longer this goes on, as you know, the war continues to have an impact on the U.S.

economy.

Inflation is up.

Gas prices are up.

A year ago in Texas, the average price of gasoline was $2.75 a gallon.

Today it's $3.60 a gallon, which is still below the national average of $4.15.

So what about your constituents?

Do they support this war continuing on?

REP.

MICHAEL MCCAUL: You know, the majority do.

I don't think they support a very long-term getting bogged down the Middle East thing.

I don't think the president supports that either.

All the points you mentioned are playing right into Iran's hands and they're trying to manipulate this through negotiations, hoping that, by the time the midterms roll around, that the president will back down on his calculations.

I don't think that's going to happen, though, but we were all very aware back home any time gas prices go up, affordability goes up.

That's an indicator about the economy.

And we have seen in elections past that gas prices plays a heavy role.

The sooner the Straits of Hormuz get open, the better off for everybody.

And I hope our allies, despite the rhetoric that's been out there, help join us, because they are the beneficiaries of more than 50 percent of the energy coming out of the Straits of Hormuz.

We are a net gain producer, which means we don't really rely on anything coming out of the straits.

AMNA NAWAZ: That is Texas Republican Congressman Mike McCaul joining us tonight.

Congressman, thank you so much for your time.

Please come back again soon.

REP.

MICHAEL MCCAUL: Thanks, Amna.

Thanks for having me.