(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Conservative critics lambasted the 86 Republicans who thwarted an amendment to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which would have required the FBI to seek warrants before subjecting Americans to unnecessary spying.
To the detriment of Americans, the unamended law passed 273-147, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., joining the 86 Republicans to defeat the bill.
Consequently, conservatives, including Republican lawmakers who voted against the bill, spared no words against those who aligned with Democrats to kill the amendment.
Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.; Anna Paulina Launa, R-Fla.; Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.; and Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., were some of those scolding their colleagues.
“[Eighty-six Republicans] sided with 126 Democrats to give @POTUS and his biased administration full permission to spy on you without a warrant,” wrote Mace on Twitter. She described the bill’s passage, which extends FISA surveillance for two years, as a victory for the “uni-party surveillance hawks.”
86 Republicans sided with 126 Democrats to give @POTUS and his biased administration full permission to spy on you without a warrant.
This is a victory for the uni-party surveillance hawks & a devastating defeat for the privacy rights of American citizens.
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) April 12, 2024
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., one of the lawmakers who backed the amendment, announced that she forced a rare procedural vote that would compel the House to reconsider the amendment on Monday.
“You cannot have a free and open society with the warrantless spying of Americans. Today, the bipartisan vote to force intelligence communities to get a warrant was lost by one vote,” Luna said.
You cannot have a free and open society with the warrantless spying of Americans. Today, the bipartisan vote to force intelligence communities to get a warrant was lost by one vote. In an effort to stop this, I requested a rare procedural maneuver that will force a second vote on… pic.twitter.com/f4apWu62I6
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) April 12, 2024
Expanding on her remarks, Luna added: “Hopefully we can change minds. I will be writing all 435 members over the weekend. Please help me. Talk to your reps. We have one last shot at this.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., applauded Luna’s move in a video statement posted on Twitter and called on constituents to demand their representatives support the amendment.
“We need you, the American people, putting pressure on these 86 Republicans who sold you out to today all weekend long. Do not relent. We have your back here in Washington, D.C., but this weekend, we need you doing your part,” Boebert said
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
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., echoed these concerns, writing on Twitter that the 86 Republicans “voted with the Deep State.” He added, “We need Republicans in Congress who believe that you shouldn’t be surveilled by your federal government.”
The majority of Republicans voted for my warrant requirement amendment.
86 voted with the Deep State.
We need Republicans in Congress who believe that you shouldn’t be surveilled by your federal government. pic.twitter.com/Q0gbBXDTeZ
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) April 12, 2024
Other conservative personalities, including podcast hosts, influencers, and journalists, were equally emphatic in their responses to the failed amendment. See some of their reactions below:
Today is a dark day for America. https://t.co/Pi88CZpe3D
— Congressman Troy E. Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) 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
These 86 Republicans ignored the Founders and joined a majority of Democrats to vote in favor of allowing the regime to trample on your 4th Amendment rights.
If we’re going to change the way things work up here, our party actually has to fight. Disappointing. https://t.co/WpIFoTIF4L
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) April 12, 2024
BREAKING: It’s not over. There will be ONE more vote on Monday on a reconsideration of FISA in the U.S. House. The bill should be stopped because it lacks warrant protection for Americans – thanks to 86 Republicans & 126 Democrats who killed the warrant. #GetAWarrant pic.twitter.com/0YZ2J4IlgO
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) April 12, 2024
86 Republicans just voted against requiring a FISA warrant for the FBI to spy on Americans ensnared in foreign intelligence gathering
These are your Deep State puppets in the GOP
They are controlled https://t.co/CgIJUnSMwt pic.twitter.com/2QSYxOONQh
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) April 12, 2024
86 Republicans voted with 126 Democrats to give Biden permission to spy on us without a warrant.
Here is the full list of House Republicans who just enabled this administration to use FISA:
•Rep. Aderholt
•Rep. Bacon
•Rep. Balderson
•Rep. Barr
•Rep. Bice
•Rep. Buchanan…— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) April 12, 2024