Amash urges stop to warrantless surveillance

Washington — Rep. Justin Amash, R-Cascade Township, sent a letter Friday urging House leadership to include measures restricting warrantless government surveillance in any year-end government funding packages.

Amash crafted the letter with Democratic Rep. Jared Polis of Colorado, and 34 of their House colleagues signed it, including Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit.

“Though there are many divergent views among Republicans and Democrats on a variety of spending matters, the need to safeguard the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment and protect Americans rights is an issue on which there is far-reaching consensus,” the lawmakers wrote to to House Speaker Paul Ryan, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Appropriations Committee leaders.

“Republicans and Democratic members of Congress – and more importantly the constituents we all represent – overwhelmingly agree that tax dollars should not be used to fund the warrentless surveillance of American citizens.”

The lawmakers request that House leaders incorporate into year-end spending packages five privacy-focused provisions that passed the chamber this year with bipartisan support. The amendments would halt public funding of activities such as warrantless bulk data collection and “backdoor” searches by the Department of Justice and the National Security Agency.

They noted that three of the five measures passed on a voice vote, indicating unanimous or near unanimous approval.

mburke@detroitnews.com

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