U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, left, will attempt to defund controversial federal surveillance tactics by offering an amendment to a defense appropriations bill this week.

(MLive.com File Photo)

Update: Rep. Justin Amash's push to defund NSA spying halts defense bill: report

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — U.S. Rep. Justin Amash this week will attempt to defund federal programs that led to the covert seizure of millions of Americans' phone records.

Amash, R-Cascade Township, plans to offer an amendment that would financially gut the programs to a defense appropriations bill set to be weighed by the U.S. House.

The sophomore lawmaker on Monday tweeted his intentions to amend the spending bill.

"Most important bill this week: DoD Approps," Amash tweeted. "We can defund #NSA's unconstitutional spying on Americans--if House leaders allow amendments."

Amash spokesman Will Adams said the amendment's language still is being tailored to bolster its chances of advancing to the full House.

The House Rules Committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday to consider amendments to the appropriations bill.

That panel acts as a gatekeeper of sorts, with members voting to allow or bar amendments from reaching the full House.

Committee leaders signaled they might limit amendments to the defense appropriations bill because of the "sensitive and ongoing" national security issues.

"At the end of the day, it's going to be a political decision by our leadership if they want to give it a floor vote," Adams said.

Outrage has grown in the weeks since leaked documents uncovered controversial data trawling by the National Security Administration.

Amash, a potential U.S. Senate candidate, has been a vocal critic of what was discovered to be the seizure of Americans' phone records and other information in the quest to root out terrorist suspects.

The programs have been authorized under other pieces of national security legislation, like the National Defense Authorization Act.

Supporters, therefore, have defended the surveillance as both legal and crucial to undermining terrorist activities.

Adams said targeting the tactics in the defense spending bill is a way to derail their future application.

"In order to accomplish policy changes in an appropriations bill, you have to write amendments that defund particular programs that you don't like," he said.

In this case, Amash wants to "defund the type of dragnet surveillance that the NSA is doing on Americans' telephone calls," Adams said.

"Not even defunding Section 215 of the Patriot Act in total," he added, referencing the law that allows the FBI to compel businesses to hand over certain customer records.

"We're focusing on the indiscriminate collection of Americans' telephone records," said Adams, who also noted the amendment is gathering cosponsors.

The fate of Amash's proposed change is expected to be determined Wednesday afternoon, when the rules committee meets.

House leaders have tentatively scheduled consideration of the defense appropriations bill on Thursday, according to the chamber's schedule.

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