Trump allies defy Speaker Mike Johnson and TANK reauthorization of ... trends now
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A key vote to advance reauthorization of a controversial spying tool failed on the House floor Wednesday after Donald Trump urged his allies to 'kill' it.Donald Trump urged his allies to 'kill' it.
The so-called 'compromise' bill included new guardrails for FISA that hardliners said did not go far enough.
'KILL FISA, IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME, AND MANY OTHERS. THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN!!! DJT' Trump posted on Truth Social Wednesday morning.
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) has been credited for helping intelligence officers thwart terror attacks on U.S. soil, but has also been prone to abuse with spying on U.S. citizens.
It was used to spy on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page in 2016 when he was suspected of communications with the Russians.
It allows the U.S. government to surveil foreign nationals with suspected terror ties who are not on U.S. soil, even if the party on the other side of such communications is a U.S. national in America.
Sixteen Republicans voted 'no' on the rule to advance the reauthorization of Section 702, essentially ensuring its demise. All Democrats voted 'no' on the rule and typically always do so, even if they support the bill.
It was the seventh rule vote to fail this Congress, fourth under Speaker Mike Johnson. A rule hadn't failed in over 20 years before this Congress.
Johnson shot back to Trump's message ahead of the vote: 'Trump used the intel from this program to kill terrorists.'
The speaker claimed the bill as it stands now 'kills the abuses' that took place under FISA in the past.
He's warned that if the compromise bill fails, the Senate will 'jam' the House with a clean reauthorization without oversight reforms before FISA's expiration on April 19.
Hardliners on the right and left have become strange bedfellows
