Washington DC - Senators blocked legislation renewing a major foreign surveillance authority on Friday after President Donald Trump's choice of a loyalist housing official as acting intelligence chief upended a bipartisan deal.

The protest was led by Democrats objecting that Bill Pulte had no relevant experience and had weaponized government records against Trump's opponents – raising the prospect that one of Washington's most important national security tools could lapse within days.

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) allows US intelligence agencies to collect communications of foreign targets overseas, including when they communicate with people in the US.

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Officials describe it as a vital counterterrorism and espionage tool, but civil liberties groups and privacy-minded lawmakers argue it allows warrantless access to Americans' communications.

The authority is due to expire on June 12 unless Congress acts, although the program has a legal safety net that could allow some operations to continue under existing court certifications.

Senate Intelligence Committee leaders had been close to a bipartisan deal after months of negotiations to extend Section 702 for three years.

But Democrats said Pulte's appointment made it impossible to back expanded surveillance powers without assurances over how intelligence would be used.

Mark Warner, the panel's top Democrat, said the underlying bill had been sound but that Pulte was "grossly unqualified" for the role.

"Giving him the keys to the 18 intelligence agencies that the Director of National Intelligence oversees would be a disaster," Warner said on the Senate floor ahead of the FISA renewal vote.

"Mr. Pulte has no national security expertise – none. We're not even sure if he's got a basic security clearance... This role is too important to be filled by a part-time, unqualified individual."

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Democrats have also accused Pulte, the Federal Housing Finance Agency director, of weaponizing his office in support of Trump's campaign of retribution against political opponents.

Pulte has used mortgage records to support investigations of Trump adversaries, including Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff.

Republican leaders accused Democrats of endangering national security by blocking the bill. But several of the party's rank-and-file lawmakers also opposed moving forward, arguing that Section 702 needs major changes to prevent warrantless searches involving Americans.

Civil liberties group Demand Progress said the vote showed there was "no path forward for FISA without a warrant requirement," arguing that Congress should not renew surveillance powers without stronger privacy protections.