Rep. Justin Amash Wants to Defund NSA Surveillance Via Defense Bill

Michigan Rep. Justin Amash continues to be lovable, The Hill reports:

Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) is mounting a push this week to defund the surveillance programs at the National Security Agency.

Amash said Monday that the Defense appropriations bill — which could come to the House floor this week — was a chance to stop the NSA's "unconstitutional spying on Americans." 

"Most important bill this week: DoD Approps. We can defund #NSA's unconstitutional spying on Americans--if House leaders allow amendments, Amash tweeted Monday.

And how does Amash's leadership feel about this?

House Republican leaders are considering limiting amendments to the Defense bill out of concern for proposals that Amash and other lawmakers might bring forward.

Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) wrote to his colleagues last week that the panel might limit amendments, a departure from the open amendment process that's been used on the Defense bill since Republicans took over in 2011.

I interviewed Amash as part of a March Reason feature package on liberty-friendly congressmen this term.

Comments

[Pro Libertate]

See, this is the kind of thing Congress should at least threaten to do. Tell us what the heck is going on, or no funding at all.

[cavalier973]

Why should I vote for Republicans again? Even if they are genuinely part of "team freedom", they get shut down by the state-worshipping snotnoggins.

[A Serious Man]

Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) wrote to his colleagues last week that the panel might limit amendments, a departure from the open amendment process that's been used on the Defense bill since Republicans took over in 2011.

Only Serious Amendments proposed by Serious People will be permitted.

[Episiarch]

Hey, you're A Serious Man; why don't you propose an amendment?

[A Serious Man]

Elect me to Congress and I will.

[Episiarch]

I'm gonna need some Free Shit first.

[Pro Libertate]

What are they scared of, anyway? Most of the Dems will support his Holiness, the President, and most of the GOP will oppose anything that threatens national security.

[wareagle]

and most of the GOP will oppose anything that threatens national security

so the GOP will go along with Amash then, and cut funding on domestic spying?

[Pro Libertate]

Perceived threats, of course. Not the real ones so much.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

What are they scared of, anyway?

Men in heels, bearded women, and independent thought.

[Aresen]

I assume Rep Sessions will apply this change to the pork appropriations that get stuffed into every Defense bill.

[Xenocles]

It's okay. They'll slip it into the classified appropriation and exclude Amash from access to it.

[The Late P Brooks]

Maybe Peter King will stab Amash in the neck with a poisoned ice pick in the senate cloakroom. To save FREEDOM.

[PH2050]

NOT ONE DOLLAR CAN BE CUT!!!