The nays have had their say in the House of Representatives and have killed the USA Rights Act amendment by Justin Amash to add constitutional protections to FISA’s Section 702:
Amash amendment goes down 183 in favor, 233 opposed
— Haley Byrd (@byrdinator) January 11, 2018
Amash FISA amendment fails in the House, 183-233
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) January 11, 2018
The House has rejected a wholesale alteration of FISA surveillance programs backed by Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI). Would have entailed warrants to search FISA’s Section 702 database for information about criminal cases involving Americans. Amash amdt rejected 233-183.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 11, 2018
I must add that it was a bipartisan failure.
U.S. House 183-233 rejected Amash(R-MI)/Lofgren(D-CA) FISA electronic surveillance alternative amendment
— Greg Giroux (@greggiroux) January 11, 2018
Republicans 58-178
Democrats 125-55
Speaker Paul Ryan addressed this before the vote, suggesting that what they are voting on is not about American citizens, but about foreign terrorists on foreign soil. Meaning, 702 doesn’t endanger the privacy of American citizens:
WATCH: @SpeakerRyan remarks on #FISA Reauthorization pic.twitter.com/UortzDSF1X
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 11, 2018