WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats appeared ready to reject President Donald Trump’s request for a short-term extension of a key surveillance authority Wednesday, arguing the president’s promise to eventually find a permanent intelligence head wasn’t good enough.

The action deepened a legislative standoff over Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the U.S. government to collect digital communications of foreigners located outside the country.

Statutory authority for the program expires Friday. But Democrats have vowed to hold up the renewal if Trump moves forward in appointing Bill Pulte as the acting director of national intelligence.

Although Trump has doubled down on Pulte, he asked Congress in a Truth Social post Wednesday to pass a short-term extension to “provide time for the selection and confirmation of a permanent Head of the Agency.” Pulte will take over as the temporary director June 19.

GOP lawmakers began entertaining the idea of a three-week extension, and the Senate is expected to try and pass that by unanimous consent as early as Thursday. The House is also expected to vote on a short-term extension Thursday morning.

But Democrats are expected to block both efforts, saying: No Pulte replacement, no deal.

Senate Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., said, “My support on even a short-term (extension) is that the administration follows the law.”

Warner is demanding that Trump appoint Aaron Lukas, principle deputy director of national intelligence, in Pulte’s place until a long-term appointment is announced.

“The law says if the DNI leaves, the acting takes its place. I can live with Mr. Lucas,” he said. “If he is acting director during this short-term extension … I could be supportive.”

Similarly, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said Trump “has, right in front of him, the solution to this problem. The deputy director of national intelligence is a capable, career, intelligent professional. He should be the acting DNI.”

“It makes no sense for Trump to try to jam an unqualified person into a position overseeing 18 different intelligence agencies at exactly the moment that Trump’s illegal war against Iran is heightening the risk of a terrorist attack,” Coons said. “I will only support a short-term extension if a qualified intelligence professional is the acting DNI.”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he would not support a short-term extension “as long as Bill Pulte is DNI.”

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who met with Trump Wednesday morning, said upon returning to the Capitol that Trump’s proposal was a “good faith gesture to the Democrats,” and that Trump is interviewing candidates for a permanent DNI pick.

“Perhaps between now and then the president may decide upon his final pick,” Johnson said of Pulte’s start date. “He is anxious to do that. He’s working on it very hard.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he thinks a short-term extension is the best way forward.

“I think until there’s more clarity on what the long-term outlook is going to be for DNI and filling that position, that we’re probably unfortunately stuck in a posture where we’re going to be dealing with an extension,” Thune said.

Democrats on Wednesday dug more into their demand for a permanent replacement before they budge.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said he’d vote against a short- or long-term extension until “we solve the Bill Pulte problem.”

“Putting a guy with zero experience or any relevant experience at all is the issue. Take him out, and then we can renew FISA,” he said. “If you were to come up with a list of the million or 10 million most-qualified Americans, Bill Pulte would not be on that list.”

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a floor speech Wednesday the law “requires the DNI to have extensive experience in national security, but Pulte doesn’t have any. DNI isn’t an entry-level position. But Donald Trump is treating it like one.”

House Democrats won’t budge either, said Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Wednesday afternoon.

“If Trump wants any shot at a short-term extension, he needs to pull back” on Pulte as his pick, Jeffries said.

Earlier Wednesday, Warner noted the math problem for Republican leadership: “There’s people who are always opposed to 702 who would object” plus the immovable folks on Pulte.

For example, Sen. Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn., said Wednesday he still has “underlying issues with the bill itself” on warrant requirements, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said he is also seeking further changes.

“This location-tracking issue has become an emergency,” Wyden told reporters.

But it was clear that “Bill Pulte was the last straw for a number of senators, particularly Democrats,” Wyden said.

Warner, who had worked with GOP Judiciary Chairman Sen. Charles E. Grassley of Iowa and Intelligence Chairman Tom Cotton of Arkansas on a long-term extension, said he has “huge concerns of Bill Pulte getting the keys to these 18 agencies, and what kind of damage,” he’d cause.

“We’d worked in great faith with our Republican friends and people in the White House, and both sides presenting options,” Warner said. “I think the president was presented with options that would have been acceptable, and God forbid this goes dark, it’s totally the responsibility of Donald Trump.”

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