House Passes Amendment to Limit the NSA’s Spying – See How Your Representative Voted Here!

On Thursday night, the House of Representatives voted on an amendment (H.Amdt. 935), led by Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), that would require the NSA and other intelligence agencies to follow due process and obtain a warrant to collect the communications of American citizens. Congress has come close to passing limitations on government surveillance since Edward Snowden exposed the extent of the NSA’s intrusion into our privacy, but consistently came just a few votes shy.

But this time, a huge bi-partisan majority voted to defend the 4th Amendment, passing Massie’s amendment, 293-123. 135 Republicans and 158 Democrats joined forces for this momentous vote, with 94 Republicans and 24 Democrats voting against it. You can see how your representative voted HERE.

A great deal of thanks is due to the Representatives who actively worked to get this amendment passed – and particularly to Congressman Massie and his staff.

Although this victory is not final – the Senate must still pass this NSA-limiting language in their own Department of Defense Appropriations bill – the momentum is clearly on the side of those who would rein in the government’s out-of-control surveillance state.

FreedomWorks counted this vote as a Key Vote[^1], and will include it in our online Congressional Scorecard for 2014.

[^1]: Note that the amendment changed sponsors from Rep. Sensenbrenner to Rep. Massie..