Hard-right agitators backed by former President Donald Trump revolted against GOP leaders Wednesday, thwarting renewal of a sweeping monitoring program that expires next week and causing instability in the GOP-led House again.
A "rule" was defeated 193-228 by 19 conservatives who opposed Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and his leadership team. One more Republican minority using the procedural vote to prevent the House from debating their measure.
Wednesday's Republican defection destroyed carefully constructed compromise measures to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act due to the party's slim advantage.
After the vote, Johnson called a special closed-door House Republican meeting for Wednesday afternoon, but nothing happened after an hour. Congress may not renew 702, which the administration calls a vital national security tool, before April 19.
The Senate might send the House a short-term FISA extension without revisions. "If FISA drops, we'll likely extend it. "Stupid," said moderate Armed Services Committee member Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb. "They'll end up with the worst option."
Current FISA allows the government to target foreign nationals without warrants, but American citizens have a tougher hurdle. Privacy and civil liberties advocates on both sides of the aisle say the new House Republican bill doesn't go far enough.
"This abuse is destroying our Constitution and Bills of Rights. In an interview, Burchett stated it should be scrapped. “They broke the law before. What will prevent them from doing so again? That tool must go."
The controversial issue dominated a Wednesday morning House Republican closed-door meeting. If Republicans vote down the rule, Johnson warned them they would get a short-term FISA extension from the Senate without the revisions in the House GOP plan, four people said. He called that the worst-case scenario because it would prevent Republicans from changing the law.
After the meeting, Johnson told reporters that Section 702 must not expire because spying powers protect Americans.
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