Eighty-six House Republicans opposed an amendment to the FISA reauthorization bill that aimed to include a warrant requirement to prevent the U.S. government from spying on Americans without their consent. The amendment, proposed by Republican Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, resulted in a tied vote of 212-212, with House Speaker Mike Johnson breaking the tie by voting against it. Despite support from key Republicans like Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw, the House proceeded to pass the 2-year reauthorization bill without Biggs’ amendment by a vote of 273-147 on Friday. However, a last-minute procedural obstacle raised by Republican Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna led to a delay in the 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.”
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
After the bill was approved, a significant number of conservative Republicans expressed their disapproval towards both their own party and the Democrats. Republican Colorado Representative, Lauren Boebert, strongly criticized the legislation, claiming that it would enable 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
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
The bill, which was publicly opposed by Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, on Wednesday, was criticized for its unlawful application against him and other individuals throughout 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