Surprise Vote: House defunds NSA backdoor spying

A surprise victory late last night for the Fourth Amendment and the rule of law. Rep. Thomas Massie’s proposal to defund ‘backdoor’ spying on U.S. communications by the CIA and NSA was adopted by a vote of 293-123. Details:

Currently, the NSA collects emails, browsing and chat history under Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act, and searches this information without a warrant for the communications of Americans—a practice known as “backdoor searches.” The amendment would block the NSA from using any of its funding from this Defense Appropriations Bill to conduct such warrantless searches. In addition, the amendment would prohibit the NSA from using its budget to mandate or request that private companies and organizations add backdoors to the encryption standards that are meant to keep you safe on the web. – from EFF.org

While the amendment passed with a large majority, not everyone was happy. The Hill reports: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) argued the amendment would potentially jeopardize national security by limiting the NSA’s intelligence-gathering activities.

“This amendment would create a blind spot for the intelligence community tracking terrorists with direct connections to the U.S. homeland,” Goodlatte said.  “Such an impediment would put American lives at risk of another terrorist attack.”

 

Amdt to end unconst. #NSA backdoor searches passed 293-123-1 @RepZoeLofgren Rep Holt @TulsiPress@RepBetoORourkepic.twitter.com/jFmcSD1wGb

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 20, 2014

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Tonight, the House of Representatives took an important first step in reining in the NSA. The House voted overwhelmingly to cut funding for two of the NSA’s invasive surveillance practices: the warrantless searching of Americans’ international communications, and the practice of requiring companies to install vulnerabilities in communications products or services. We applaud the House for taking this important first step, and we look forward to other elected officials standing up for our right to privacy. – Mark Rumold, Electronic Frontier Foundation Attorney

Click the image below to see the ‘Noes.’ Cantor, Wasserman-Schultz, Israel, King (Yes, that King), Rogers, Duckworth and Bachmann were, of course, among them.