
There was high drama in the House on Friday as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) came to the floor for another vote. The fourth time was the charm as the measure to reauthorize warrantless domestic spying prevailed.
Former President Donald Trump led a conservative uprising against the measure, which was initially voted down on Wednesday. He noted that the authority was used to conduct surveillance on his 2016 presidential campaign.
One prominent GOP leader who is pleased with the outcome is Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX).
The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee told CNN’s “The Situation Room” earlier that rejecting the reauthorization of FISA would be “extremely dangerous.”
McCaul was asked by host Wolf Blitzer if American lives are at risk without Congress reauthorizing FISA.
FISA has been violated OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION TIMES with illegal searches and queries!
Our government needs a warrant requirement if it wants to collect data on its own citizens. Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights must reign supreme. pic.twitter.com/l3mSHe6BBR
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) April 11, 2024
The Republican answered affirmatively. “I 100% agree with Director Wray. In my prior life, I was a federal prosecutor after 9/11 on counterterrorism. I worked with the FBI on FISA warrants. We stopped a lot of bad things from happening.”
The chairman said that if “we go dark it will put American people in jeopardy and put them at risk at a time when the world is actually becoming more and more dangerous.”
McCaul cited threats from Hamas terrorists as well as jihadists in Afghanistan.
Conservatives would be much more inclined to support Section 702 if the amendment requiring a warrant for domestic surveillance had passed. The vote on the House floor was 212-212, and a tie constitutes a defeat.
This brought a strong rebuke from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) after the vote. “Every one of these members who voted against a warrant requirement, they are the deciding vote. They own it.”
The firebrand warned that he takes such actions personally and may seek political retribution against those who opposed the warrant mandate. “Some of them may see me showing up in their districts very soon to campaign against them and to stand for the Constitution.”
Conservatives were able to throw a temporary stumbling block in FISA’s path, delaying its arrival next week in the Senate. But it should advance to the upper chamber on Monday where it is expected to receive bipartisan support.