Rep. Justin Amash wants to defund National Security Agency surveillance programs through a measure that could hit Congress this week.
The Michigan Republican sent out a tweet Monday saying that the Defense Department's appropriation bill, if it does come before the House this week, could be an opportunity to halt the NSA's "unconstitutional spying on Americans,"
The Hill reports.
"Most important bill this week: DoD Approps. We can defund #NSA's unconstitutional spying on Americans--if House leaders allow amendments," Amash tweeted.
House Republican leaders, however, are concerned that moves by Amash and other lawmakers adding similar amendments to the defense bill could delay consideration and passage of the overall spending measure.
Concerns that amendments limiting President Barack Obama's ability to deal with the situations in Syria and Egypt could be offered also have been raised. As a result, the House Rules Committee is considering changing the open-amendments process to limit the number of amendments that can be offered.
"While this is not the traditional process for this bill, there are a number of sensitive and ongoing issues related to national security that are more appropriately handled through an orderly amendment process ensuring timely consideration of this important measure," Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions wrote in a letter to colleagues last week, The Hill noted.
The House Rules Committee planned to meet Tuesday to decide on how to deal with the amendments process for the defense bill.
Amash has been a vocal critic of the NSA. Last month, he called on Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to resign.
Amash spokesman Will Adams told the
Grand Rapids Press that "at the end of the day, it's going to be a political decision by our leadership if they want to give [the NSA surveillance amendment] a floor vote."
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