Meet the pro domestic surveillance Democrats in the House

[Catherina]

Wed Jul 24, 2013 at 05:30 PM PDT
Meet the pro domestic surveillance Democrats in the House

...

The amendment was afforded a very rapid two-minute vote, while a similar but "decoy" amendment just before it was given fifteen-minutes. The final vote on the Amash-Conyers amendment was surprisingly close. The House Democratic leadership, Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer were against the amendment and both voted no. The White House was also rather infamously against it.

Final vote: 205 Ayes 217 Noes

Breakdown:
Ayes: 94 Republicans, 111 Democrats
Noes: 134 Republicans, 83 Democrats
Not Voting: 6 Republicans, 6 Democrats

A coalition of Republicans and Democrats came together to make this a very narrow vote, which advocates of civil liberties and the Bill of Rights found to be very encouraging. This battle is not over.

However, we now have, on the record, 83 House Democrats who voted in favor of continuing bulk collection of information on Americans for domestic surveillance.

And here they are.

No Votes
Andrews
Barber
Barrow (GA)
Bera (CA)
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Brown (FL)
Brownley (CA)
Butterfield
Carney
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Cooper
Costa
Cuellar
Davis (CA)
Delaney
Duckworth
Engel
Enyart
Esty
Foster
Frankel (FL)
Gallego
Garcia
Green, Al
Gutiérrez
Hanabusa
Heck (WA)
Higgins
Himes
Hinojosa
Hoyer
Israel
Jackson Lee
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, E. B.
Kaptur
Kelly (IL)
Kennedy
Kilmer
Kind
Kirkpatrick
Kuster
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Levin
Lipinski
Lowey
Maloney, Sean
Matheson
McIntyre
McNerney
Meeks
Meng
Murphy (FL)
Payne
Pelosi
Peters (CA)
Peters (MI)
Peterson
Price (NC)
Quigley
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Ryan (OH)
Schakowsky
Schneider
Schwartz
Scott, David
Sewell (AL)
Sinema
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (WA)
Thompson (CA)
Titus
Van Hollen
Vargas
Veasey
Visclosky
Wasserman Schultz
Wilson (FL)

Not Voting
Beatty
Bustos
Horsford
McCarthy (NY)
Negrete McLeod
Pallone

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/24/1226332/-Meet-the-pro-domestic-surveillance-Democrats-in-the-House

[DJ13]

1. Maybe thats a list of those with something to hide?

The NSA taps them too.

[Catherina]

4. Possibly but whatever the reason, they need to go.

My rep voted for it. I just left her an effusive message of thanks.

[grasswire]

2. thank you

I've been waiting for this.

[Catherina]

5. Shame on each and every one of them. I'm sure they'll be getting an earful.

You're welcome

[octoberlib]

3. Rep. Price from NC is getting a phone call tomorrow.

People are tweeting all the congressmen who voted against with the hashtag #VotedagainstUs

[Catherina]

6. I love that! Good. They deserve whatever hell they get from their constituents n/t

[KoKo]

16. Thanks for the Tweet Link!

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. I just did

And as a reporter I rarely play those games.

@nadinbrzezinski: @ScottPetersSD well, I know who I will not vote for #VotedAgainstUS #Amash Coming 2014 Congressman, I won't vote for you. 4th is not paper

[octoberlib]

32. I don't do the hashtag thing that often but I did tonight. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

49. Yup, but he is not just my rep

He's my beat

[neverforget]

7. My blue dog Democrat voted Aye. I'm shocked! He did something I support!

Yay!

[Catherina]

9. Yay! Send him a thank you! These are the dividing lines n/t

[neverforget]

12. Will do but he's for the chained CPI and the Cat Food Commission so he's

on my shit list.

[Catherina]

22. For sure! n/t

[davidpdx]

46. You must be talking about Schrader

I'm in his district as well. There is no way in gods green earth I'll vote for him again. Apparently Congressman Grayson is recruiting progressives for the next election (he stated on a post here on DU). I begged him to find someone to primary Schrader.

[neverforget]

48. you got that right. I went from Blumenauer to

this turd. I sent him a letter telling him that his support for Chained CPI and the Cat Food Commission means I won't be voting for him. I got a letter back saying how important reducing the deficit is. Bah!

[warrant46]

8. Pelosi, Wasserman Schultz, and Hoyer

Can you say leadership?

[Catherina]

10. I have a different word for it. What fine company they're in too

OPEN LETTER IN SUPPORT OF
THE RECENTLY DISCLOSED NSA PROGRAMS

....

Michael B. Mukasey

Michael V. Hayden

Alberto R. Gonzales

Michael Chertoff

Amb. John D. Negroponte

Porter J. Goss

Stephen J. Hadley

Diana Villiers Negroponte


http://intelligence.house.gov/sites/intelligence.house.gov/files/documents/LetterSupportNSAPrograms.pdf

And Bachmann. Let's not forget Bachmann.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

11. Disappointed in Van Hollen

Ruppersberger to be expected

[struggle4progress]

13. If Price (NC) voted against it, then it deserved to go down in flames IMO

[Oilwellian]

14. It looks like a parade of Third Wayers

Amazing.

K&R

[bigwillq]

15. Thanks for the info.

K and R

[kentuck]

17. I think this was probably a vote that was slipped on the agenda...

and most Reps did not have time to study it before they were asked to vote, and they probably voted as their leadership asked?

[Catherina]

24. I dunno, the ones who voted for it are all proudly responding to their constituents

Last edited Thu Jul 25, 2013, 12:55 AM - Edit history (1)

with tweets like this

Bill Johnson ‏@RepBillJohnson 1h

Tonight, I voted FOR the Amash Amendment. The federal gov't is getting too big and too intrusive. #NSA #amash

Matt Salmon ‏@RepMattSalmon 2h

Voted in support of Amash-Conyers #NSA amd't. It protects privacy by limiting the scope of NSA’s collection of surveillance records

#Liberty
and putting up statements like this one on Facebook and their websites

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Fitzpatrick (PA-8) released the following statement Wednesday regarding his vote in support of the Amash-Conyers Amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill:

“Tonight, I stood on the side of personal liberty and voted in favor of the Amash-Conyers Amendment which would have curtailed the blanket collection of phone records by the NSA.

While I am disappointed the amendment was not passed and attached to the bill, its strong bipartisan support should put the president on notice about the very serious concerns many members, and Americans, have about the expanse of government agencies like the NSA.

My vote- along with that of others- was based on continuing concerns about the overreach of parts of the PATRIOT Act. While I fully acknowledge law enforcement needs information to combat terror tactics, it's important that the personal privacy and liberty of my law-abiding constituents be honored.”

http://fitzpatrick.house.gov/press-release/fitzpatrick-nsa-overreach-must-be-stopped

Congressman Kevin Yoder · 3,705 like this
2 hours ago ·

We have spent most of the week debating and discussing the Defense appropriations bill this week, including several amendments. Like most Americans, I was shocked by reports of the broad nature that the National Security Agency was collecting the telephone records of all Americans. While I believe strongly in my Constitutional duty to ensure our nation is safe, I also have an obligation to uphold the privacy protections granted by the Constitution to all Americans. That is why I voted for an amendment offered by Congressman Justin Amash (MI) to the Defense appropriations bill today, which would have ended the indiscriminate collection of Americans' telephone records. The amendment would allow law enforcement and national security officials the ability to investigate specific threats to our national security without breaching the privacy rights of Americans.

https://www.facebook.com/CongressmanKevinYoder/posts/581284298591154

Diane Black

I just voted for Representative Justin Amash’s amendment to protect our Fourth Amendment rights and END the NSA’s mass surveillance of Americans. This amendment would have limited the ability of the NSA to ONLY collect data on an American citizen if he or she is the subject of an authorized investigation. I’m disappointed that this amendment was narrowly defeated, because the Obama administration has proven time and time again that it cannot be trusted with our personal information and to date, has not provided a credible explanation as to why the telephone records of every single American are necessary to ensure our national security. SHARE if you agree—It’s time to end the surveillance state and make NSA focus on those who actually pose a terrorist threat.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=656441081052496&set=a.187001981329744.48130.186436274719648&type=1&theater

For Immediate Release
July 24, 2013


Contact: Orlando Watson
[e-mail]

Rep. Gosar Votes To Restore Civil Liberties and Uphold The Constitution

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Paul Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) voted in favor of an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2014 (H.R. 2397) that would restore civil liberties and uphold the Constitution. The amendment, introduced by Reps. Justin Amash (MI-03) and John Conyers (MI-13), would limit the collection of U.S. citizens’ metadata by the National Security Agency (NSA).

Following the vote, Rep. Gosar issued this statement:

“While some in Congress desperately want to continue the NSA’s domestic spying, I vigorously defended the Fourth Amendment by voting to limit the NSA’s ability to use taxpayer money to spy on its own citizens. Not only is it important Congress empower the federal government to fulfill one of its primary responsibilities – providing for the national defense – but we must do so with respect for the Constitution. We must also remain eternally vigilant in our defense of liberty and I intend to continue doing so.”

http://gosar.house.gov/press-release/rep-gosar-votes-restore-civil-liberties-and-uphold-constitution

I almost started a thread to keep track of them all but they were flying past so fast.

[TheKentuckian]

18. Who's who of worthless and/or dangerous fuckers to be rooted out with extreme prejudice

[forestpath]

19. What a bunch of fucking cowards.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

28. If they are "a bunch of fucking cowards," why do they go home with more wealth than what they

started with?

[BlueCheese]

21. For something opposed by both the Dem and GOP leadership...

205 votes is pretty striking.

You've got to think if the Dem leadership supported the amendment, it would have passed. But Pelosi is a partisan-- she'd gnaw her own arm off before splitting with the Dem president. Sometimes the circumstances call for it, though.

Glad to see that my congresswoman is not on that list.

[limpyhobbler]

23. Sickening. Obama put his thumb on the scale to shift the balance. Otherwise this would have passed.

[Catherina]

25. That and there was a Top Secret NSA briefing before the vote to put the fear of God

This should have passed. And it will. The White House is trying to play this down as just another of those "phony scandals" but people have news for them

The National Security Agency has invited certain members of Congress to a top secret, invitation only meeting to discuss a proposed amendment that could end the NSA’s ability to conduct dragnet surveillance on millions of Americans.

A letter circulated only to select lawmakers early Tuesday announced that NSA Director General Keith B. Alexander would host a question and answer session with members of Congress in preparation of a Thursday vote on Capitol Hill expected to involve an amendment introduced last month by Rep. Justin Amash (R-Michigan).

...

Amash’s suggestion isn’t unheard of in the wake of a massive public backlash caused by Mr. Snowden’s disclosures, but it certainly isn’t sitting pretty with the NSA. According to Huffington Post, a letter circulated on Tuesday only hours after the Amash amendment was confirmed to be in order and expected to go up for vote this Thursday.

"In advance of anticipated action on amendments to the DoD Appropriations bill, Ranking Member C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger of the House Intelligence Committee invites your Member to attend a question and answer session with General Keith B. Alexander of the National Security Agency," HuffPo quoted from the invitation.

The meeting, added journalist Ryan Grim, was scheduled to be held at a security level of top secret/SCI and was only open to certain lawmakers, echoing the secrecy involved in the very programs Amash aims to shut down.

http://rt.com/usa/nsa-surveillance-amendment-amash-485/

NSA Director Gen. Keith Alexander lobbied the House yesterday in an effort to dial back congressional opposition to NSA spying and the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee oppose the measures, as does the White House.

“[W]e oppose the current effort in the House to hastily dismantle one of our Intelligence Community’s counterterrorism tools,” a statement from White House press secretary Jay Carney says. “This blunt approach is not the product of an informed, open, or deliberative process. We urge the House to reject the Amash Amendment, and instead move forward with an approach that appropriately takes into account the need for a reasoned review of what tools can best secure the nation.”

Amash told the New York Times that Alexander’s lobbying didn’t change any minds and that his measure will most likely pass. “I think the American people are overwhelmingly in support of reining in the blanket surveillance of the NSA,” he said.

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2013/07/24/2347191/house-nsa/

and Feinstein and Hoyer, heck all the usual suspects

The heads of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday criticized a House amendment targeting funding for the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and ranking member Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) issued a joint statement Tuesday that called the amendment from Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) “unwise.”

“We believe this debate in the Congressional Intelligence and Judiciary committees should continue and that any amendments to defund the program on appropriations bills would be unwise,” the senators said.

“Since the public disclosure of the business records program, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has explored how the program can be modified to add extra privacy protections without sacrificing its effectiveness,” they added.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/defcon-hill/policy-and-strategy/312815-senate-intel-leaders-slam-houses-nsa-amendment#ixzz2ZszT9kJE

[limpyhobbler]

26. Right but the NSA desperate secret meeting is part of thumb on the scales.

NSA works for the President. If we don't like the behavior of the NSA, that's part of the executive branch, that's Obama.

[Catherina]

29. You're right

There was a NYT article that explained how NSA "hurriedly" rushed to give some members of Congress that Top Secret briefing. "Hurriedly". On whose orders we don't need to wonder.

[limpyhobbler]

31. We really deserve better leadership.

Some (on this site) have questioned whether any President would be able to control the military/security industrial complex. I'm not sure but I find votes like today's pretty disheartening.

[kas125]

40. I don't know what was said at that secret meeting, but my congressman was one of the few

to vote against the Patriot Act at the beginning and has consistently voted against funding it. Yet, there he is, on that list.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

27. Yea for Tammy Duckworth.

If she keeps this up, it will be harder for some to publicly claim to believe that she is a liberal or a progressive.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

30. Oooooh..you have a list! You're naming names! Oh by the way

The fact that they rejected a late-breaking amendment defunding collection of call/data records program attached to a spending bill doesn't mean they all want to continue the program. It means they see how ridiculous it is to swiftly cancel a program without further reviewing the pros and cons as well as what might be used in it's place to accomplish same goal of thwarting terror plots.

[limpyhobbler]

33. we have enough information to make this decision right now. Half of Congress was able to make it.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

34. You don't understand how Congress and vote counting works, then

[limpyhobbler]

35. Care to enlighten me as to what the fuck you are talking about?

[Pretzel_Warrior]

36. This was never going to pass. The only question was which representatives would get to vote against

And look like heroes to their home crowd. I'm guessing the ultra liberal and ultra conservative (libertarian) constituents in certain districts helped define who got credit and who did not. Boehner and his whip would not have let the amendment be voted on unless they knew it was going down.

[limpyhobbler]

37. There's some truth to that.

The results of votes are somewhat pre-determined and then members are free to vote how they need to for political reasons. But this did come pretty close. They were not able to stop it from getting out of committee.

Not sure who all these ultra-liberal and ultra-conservative people are you're talking about. Disapproval of mass surveillance is a mainstream view in this country.

But to be real the leadership of both parties were whipping against this amendment.

[cali]

43. I understand perfectly how it works and this was a textbood case

of playing dirty.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

38. What a pathetic bunch of obedient hypocrites.

[Le Taz Hot]

39. There he is!

Worthless, blue-dog Costa. Ever the reliable "centrist."

[Waiting For Everyman]

41. Thanks! This will be useful in sending nasty grams and thank yous later today.

This is a deal breaker issue to me. Anybody who can't respect our Constitutional rights just doesn't belong in office. I'll definitely work to primary any Dems who don't get it. I'm very disappointed in our new Dem Rep. John Delaney. Also Van Holen and Ruppersberger are on the nasty gram list.

I'm going to take more interest in Rupe. He's central to a lot of this cyber crap, and I read that he's thinking about running for governor after O'Malley. He represents my hometown (I went to high school with his younger brother, Reese) a few counties away, and he will have an uphill battle in the part of the state where I live now. NSA and Ft. Meade are in his constituent area but that is no reason to give them a blank check. It's every reason to keep an eye on them properly.

[cali]

42. that list is long and depressing

my rep is not on it. I didn't even need to look.

[Progressive dog]

44. Pelosi and Hoyer are pro domestic surveillance.

I've "met them" before, I kind of like them.

[xchrom]

45. du rec.

[davidpdx]

47. The 4 D nos wouldn't have tipped the scale

I have to wonder if they thought the bill didn't go far enough.

Also what about the 12 who didn't vote?

I know one of them is a Republican who is from Washington (state) and is having problems with a pregnancy. So the other 11? AWOL

[LWolf]

50. Happily, none of the Democratic reps in my state are on that list. n/t