A procedural vote on Wednesday, which was slowed down by” Republican” Speaker Mike Johnson, resulted in the House advancing a bill that would maintain the government’s surveillance of American citizens without a warrant.
The 193- 228 ballot blocked Rep. Laurel Lee’s, R- Fla., Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act, which would have extended Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for five decades. Without the consent of Congress, Part 702 will become effective on April 19 and may end without further notice. A staggering 193 Republicans cast ballots to support the bill and the renegade safety state.
Area 702, enacted in America’s article- 9/11 period in 2008, allows governmental agencies to monitor overseas nationals without a warrant. However, the surveillance state has sworn fictitiously to use it to spy on innocent Americans while using false reasons for national security and unusual intelligence.
“FISA specialists have been used to violate the law more than 278, 000 times by the federal security condition, and there has yet to be any consequences for this improper action by our state”, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R- Fla., said in a Wednesday statement. According to the democratic Brennan Center for Justice, the FBI, CIA, NSA, and National Counterterrorism Center do more than 200, 000 illegal searches every year to examine Americans ‘ personal contacts.
According to the ACLU, data obtained through illegal surveillance can be used to “prosecute and arrest people, perhaps for crimes that have nothing to do with countrywide security.”
After obtaining a security permit through a covert FISA court to targeted worker Carter Page, the FBI notably spied on previous president Donald Trump’s plan. The warrant was based on false information and omitted crucial details that had previously blown up the FBI’s framework for conducting searches on the Page.
As the Brennan Center for Justice reported:
Among , many , other examples, the government has performed baseless searches for the communications of , members of Congress,  , journalists, and , 19, 000 donors to a congressional campaign. The FBI has performed “tens of thousands” of , unlawful searches “related to civil unrest”, including searches targeting , 141 people , protesting the murder of George Floyd and more than , 20, 000 people , affiliated with a group suspected of involvement in the January 6 attack on the U. S. Capitol. Most recently — and despite procedural changes implemented by the FBI to stem abuses — FBI agents performed , improper searches , for the private communications of a U. S. senator, a state senator, and a state court judge who reported alleged civil rights violations by a police chief to the FBI.
Speaker Johnson stated that the renewal would have measures to stop similar incidents, but it does n’t seem to pass the smell test.
According to The Epoch Times, Johnson said,” This is a critically important piece of our intelligence and law enforcement in this country because it allows us to continue killing Hamas terrorists.” It makes it possible to track shipments of the least amount of fentanyl-using chemicals, protect US warships from Houthi rebels, stop China from stealing American intellectual property, and stop ransomware attacks against American companies.
Among other significant reforms, Johnson reportedly claimed there would be amendments to “prevent another Russia hoax debacle” and to protect Americans from “politicized FBI queries.”
” No more Steele dossiers, no more of the intelligence community relying on fake news reports to order a FISA order, no more collusion, these changes will make sure that that does n’t happen”, Johnson added.
According to Fox News, Johnson reportedly opposed an amendment that would require officials to obtain a warrant if the communications they’re targeting include an American citizen.
The same “experts” who infamously discredited Hunter Biden’s laptop as Russian disinformation, which resulted in widespread censorship of those who attempted to share the story, are among those who support and demanded that Congress renew warrantless searches on Americans. Their political and unconstitutional abuses seem to contradict their fearmongering about national security.
Here are the Republican representatives who voted against limiting constitutional rights:
- Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida
- Rep. Greg Steube of Florida
- Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida
- Rep. Cory Mills of Florida
- Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado
- Rep. Michael Cloud
- Rep. Chip Roy of Texas
- Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina
- Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona
- Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona
- Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona
- Rep. Bob Good of Virginia
- Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana
- Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee
- Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee
- Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina
- Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina
- Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania
- Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisianna
Brianna Lyman is a correspondent for The Federalist on elections.
