Hard-liners vow retaliation against Republicans who sank FISA warrant mandate
by Mike Lillis - 04/12/24 3:44 PM ET
Hard-line conservatives are turning up the heat on their GOP colleagues who voted Friday to kill a proposed warrant requirement for domestic communications caught up in foreign surveillance operations.
That provision — offered as an amendment to a larger bill renewing a key section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) — went down on the House floor in a 212-212 vote, with 86 Republicans and 126 Democrats voting against it. By House rules, a tie vote fails.
The outcome infuriated the conservative champions of the warrant mandate, who accused its opponents in both parties of empowering the “deep state” while undermining constitutional liberties. Their anger was aimed most squarely at fellow Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who voted against the warrant requirement and in favor of the final FISA package.
Some hard-liners said they’re ready to travel to GOP districts to campaign against those who tanked the amendment.
“Every one of these members who voted against a warrant requirement, they are the deciding vote. They own it,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said after the vote. “And some of them may see me showing up in their districts very soon to campaign against them and to stand for the Constitution.”
more
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4590833-fisa-warrant-mandate-republicans-retaliation/