Eighty-six House Republicans voted against an amendment to the FISA reauthorization bill which would have added a warrant requirement to prevent the U.S. government from spying on Americans without their knowledge.
The vote tally on the amendment, introduced by Republican Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, was 212-212, with House Speaker Mike Johnson casting the tiebreaker vote against it. Among the Republicans who voted for the legislation without Biggs’ amendment are Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw.
The House ultimately voted to renew the 2-year reauthorization bill without Biggs’ amendment Friday, 273-147, but not without a last-minute procedural hurdle introduced by Republican Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. In doing so, the congresswoman helped delay a final vote until Monday.
“Today is a dark day for America,” Texas Republican Rep. Troy Nehls said in a statement. “It is no secret that the DOJ and the FBI have used and abused FISA to spy on not only the greatest president of my lifetime, Donald J. Trump, but spy on everyday Americans. I could not, in good conscience, vote to give our nation’s weaponized DOJ the power to mass surveil the American people without significant reforms, such as a warrant requirement.”
READ THE LIST OF NAMES:
NEW: 86 Republicans just voted against @RepAndyBiggsAZ’s amendment to require a warrant to spy on Americans under FISA causing it to fail.
Here are the names: pic.twitter.com/6mAoJfnlac
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) April 12, 2024
FISA has been violated OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION TIMES with illegal searches and queries!
Our government needs a warrant requirement if it wants to collect data on its own citizens. Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights must reign supreme. pic.twitter.com/l3mSHe6BBR
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) April 11, 2024
Numerous conservative Republicans blasted their party and Democrats following the bill’s passage, with Republican Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert arguing the legislation would allow the “deep state to violate Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights.”
The Uniparty just voted to allow the Deep State to violate your Fourth Amendment rights and spy on millions of Americans for two more years. @RepLuna just forced an additional procedural vote to stop them.
GET. A. WARRANT. #FISA pic.twitter.com/JoWrYm2CQA
— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) April 12, 2024
Republican Reps. Thomas Massie and Chip Roy also took shots at their colleagues.
This is how the Constitution dies.
By a tie vote, the amendment to require a warrant to spy on Americans goes down in flames.
This is a sad day for America.
The Speaker doesn’t always vote in the House, but he was the tie breaker today. He voted against warrants. pic.twitter.com/i49GnCzyPm
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 12, 2024
Every member who voted “no” on the warrant amendment owns the fact Americans will continue to be subjected to warrantless searches of 702 data. #GetAWarrant https://t.co/VrUjkPWCIC
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) April 12, 2024
Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, publicly opposed the bill Wednesday, pointing to its illegal use against him and others during his campaign.
The saga continues …
Trump: “KILL FISA”
Graham: “it is clear that shutting down FISA would be the biggest national security mistake in the history of America”
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) April 10, 2024
After Trump’s public disapproval, Republicans in the House voted down a procedural vote to advance the legislation for a final passage. However, after winning many concessions from leadership during Thursday’s negotiations, Republicans agreed to advance the bill. The revised bill now includes a two-year extension of Section 702 of FISA, a change from the original five-year plan.
The Rules Committee Print changes the FISA reauthorization from five years to two.
So, the 56 reforms incorporated by H.R. 7888 will be reevaluated by the next Congress.
They’ll be able to revisit these changes and reconfirm they are balancing civil liberties and security. pic.twitter.com/pttbvJUB73
— House Rules Committee (@RulesReps) April 12, 2024
Read the full text of the bill here.
FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, recently grabbed headlines nationwide after conservatives pointed to the intelligence community’s illegal surveillance of then-candidate Donald Trump’s campaign during the 2016 election. This surveillance, authorized by FISA, has been criticized for its role in perpetuating the “Russiagate” hoax against Trump’s presidency. (RELATED:‘About To Combust’: Republicans Have Golden Opportunity To End Spying On Americans — But It’s Tearing Them Apart)
In some last minue procedural drama Friday afternoon, Luna yelled out “I object” as Republican Rep. Jake Ellzey attampted to gavel out the vote. Rep. Laurel Lee of Florida then immediately offered a motion to reconsider the vote, however House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner offered a motion to table the motion to reconsider, thus delaying the final vote on the FISA bill without Biggs’ amendment until Monday.
Correct. Note, tho – while we lost the warrant amendment by one vote… (every “no” vote OWNS it)… & final vote on FISA re-auth passed (thankfully just 2 years now)… we forced ANOTHER vote Monday before it passes. Make your voice heard: #GetAWarrant https://t.co/TfhwiV0iUw
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) April 12, 2024
The FISA bill will be unable to move to the Senate until that vote happens, even though it passed through the House.
