Amash says he has strong support for his amendment. | JAY WESTCOTT/POLITICO Amash: Support for NSA amendment

Rep. Justin Amash said he has strong support for his amendment to the Defense appropriations bill that would defund the NSA program that collects billions of Americans phone records.

“It’s very broad and it’s broad because the American people support it,” Amash (R-Mich.) said at a panel discussion with House conservatives Wednesday morning.


In unusual form, a small debate broke out about the amendment during the monthly Conversation with Conservatives event. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, was the only member of the panel to say that she would be voting against Amash’s amendment.

( Also on POLITICO: House to vote on NSA amendment)

Bachmann made the case that the program doesn’t violate Fourth Amendment rights because the businesses own the records being obtained, not the individuals.

“There is no expectation of privacy,” Bachmann said. “Individuals do not own the records.”

Bachmann said the program, as well as the one used to monitor online conversations, are needed for security.

“I believe we need to win the war on terror, we need to defeat the goals and aims of radical jihadists,” she said.

Amash countered that his amendment won’t affect the online programs and that in a modern era, arguing that businesses owns the records make all digital records accessible to the government.

“That’s like saying our emails are property of Google,” Amash said.

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Justin Amash