On Friday, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans joined enough Democrats to defeat 212-212 a bill amendment requiring the federal government to obtain a warrant before spying on Americans before they’re even accused of a crime.
The GOP-controlled House failed to add an amendment proposed by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., that would have altered Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to mandate that federal authorities obtain a warrant before surveilling American citizens. Johnson and 85 Republicans joined Democrats in killing Biggs’ proposal through a tied House vote.
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
The House passed the bill 273-147 to re-authorize the government’s use of FISA for the next two years, with 126 Republicans and 147 Democrats voting in favor. The bill must clear the Senate before it hits President Joe Biden’s desk for signature.
As my colleague Brianna Lyman previously explained, “Section 702 has allowed the government to carry out warrantless surveillance of American citizens in violation of the Fourth Amendment and will expire on April 19 without further action from Congress.” According to Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan, the White House’s Jake Sullivan and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland “call[ed]
