House Urged to Defund NSA Spying!

The House will consider legislation that would cut off funds for the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs and imposes limits on the operations. The Rules Committee voted late Monday to allow the NSA amendments to the $598.3 billion defense bill to be voted on after the House begins consideration of the sweeping measure on Tuesday. One amendment would bar the NSA from collecting records, including telephone call records, unless the individual is subject of an ongoing investigation.

Another amendment prohibits funds to the NSA to target a U.S. individual or acquire and store the content of that person’s communications, including phone calls and emails. Tea party conservatives and liberal Democrats had pushed to include the amendments. Republicans leaders had raised concerns about any attempt to undercut anti-terrorism efforts.

The White House in June threatened to veto the House version of the bill, arguing that the legislation rejects the Pentagon’s cost-saving efforts to close domestic military bases and raise enrollment fees for health care. Justin Amash, R-Mich., who sponsored the amendment that limits the government’s ability to collect information on Americans who are not connected to an investigation thanked House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, for allowing open debate on the amendments. “I want to thank Speaker Boehner for working diligently toward resolving significant concerns over the amendment process with respect to ‪#‎NSA,” Amash said in a Facebook post.