The U.S. Capitol is illuminated at night as the Senate continues to work late, Friday, May 22, 2015, on Capitol Hill as a pile of important bills await action. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Cascade Township, leads a largely empty House of Representatives in a recital of the Pledge of Allegiance on Tuesday, May 26, 2015.Courtesy C-SPAN
WASHINGTON, D.C. With the clock winding down on some controversial Patriot Act provisions, U.S. Rep. Justin Amash is making sure it's not reset behind his back.
The Cascade Township Republican took to the House floor Tuesday to recite the Pledge of Allegiance among empty seats during a short formality session. Congress is on recess this week, but some worry leadership could push through a short-term renewal of parts of the Patriot Act used by the National Security Agency to run its domestic surveillance programs.
Its phone data collection program was deemed "unlawful" by a federal appeals court earlier this month, and now Congress must consider changes.
The Hill reports aides to Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and other leaders have said they won't sneak through any sort of extension while most lawmakers are out of town, but Amash and other privacy-minded colleagues don't give those assurances any weight.
"We're just keeping an eye on the House," Amash told reporters Tuesday. "Promises have been made in the past and we've seen promises broken."
He quoted former President Ronald Reagan on Twitter: "Trust, but verify."
Two weeks ago, House lawmakers passed the USA Freedom Act, written to end the NSA's collection of phone records but still gives the agency authority to request records associated with a case. Amash supported an earlier version of the bill that ended its programs.
He voted no on the newest version and joined 59 other House lawmakers on a letter addressed to Senate leadership that called upon them to address their concerns.
Senate members failed to pass the USA Freedom Act on Friday, and now pressure continues to build upon Congress to act before the Patriot Act's June 1 deadline.
The House reconvenes for another pro forma, formality session Friday. A request for comment on whether Amash will be in attendance has not yet been returned.
Poster Comment:
Those lowlifes... Boehner, McCain, and Graham would do something sleazy like pass the PA by "unanimous consent" with just their three votes. They hate us because we're free.