AUSTIN — A Texas senator who wants to prohibit intrusive searches during airport security pat downs said on Wednesday his bill is likely dead after a threat from federal officials to close airports if the measure passed.

Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, blamed Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst for turning senators against his bill Tuesday night because federal Transportation Security Agents don't like the measure. Patrick said he originally had the other 30 senators signed on to support the bill, but he lost votes because Dewhurst caved to pressure from the federal government.

"I don't cave in to heavy-handed threats by the federal government," a visibly frustrated Patrick said after he pulled his bill down without taking a vote. "No one is against this bill except the federal government and the lieutenant governor."

The measure, already approved by the House, would make it illegal for anyone conducting searches to intentionally touch private parts under or through clothing. It also prohibits searches "that would be offensive to a reasonable person."

Last fall the Transportation Security Administration implemented a new pat-down procedure that includes a security worker running a hand up the inside of passengers' legs and making direct contact with private areas.

Susie Castillo, 2003 Miss USA, has said she was "molested" during a security pat-down at DFW Airport in April. In a video she taped minutes afterward, a tearful Castillo said she had opted against walking through the body scanner, and then a female TSA agent touched her crotch four times during the pat-down.

"This is a good bill to protect the privacy of Texans who do not deserve to be subjected to these searches," Patrick said.

Some senators had raised concerns about a letter U.S. Attorney John Murphy delivered to lawmakers Tuesday saying the bill would conflict with federal law. The letter warned legislators that the TSA would "likely be required to cancel any flight or series of flights for which it could not ensure the safety of the passengers and crew."

Patrick dismissed the letter as ridiculous and said TSA had months to bring forward their concerns instead of waiting until the "11th hour" to derail the bill.

"It seems to me there was a time in our state that we stood up to the federal government, and didn't cower to rules and policy that were offensive," said Patrick, a Tea Party activist. "This is the moment where the federal government came in and bullied the state of Texas."

About 40 angry protesters rallied outside the Senate chamber Wednesday, loudly chanting "Treason!" The group was led by Alex Jones, a conspiracy theorist and talk show host, who declared senators were cowards for letting TSA get away with "tyranny."

Several protesters held signs that read "TSA, Get Your Hands Out of My Pants!" and other slogans.

"The Senate cowered under a threat from the federal government. Our forefathers would be embarrassed to let children and women be molested like that," said Cassandra Richardson, of Austin.

Though the bill has wide public support, Patrick said he doesn't have enough senators to bring it up again for a vote, guessing that he had about a dozen on board when he will need at least 21.

"This was a come-and-take-it moment, and this senator didn't want the federal government to come and take our liberty and take our freedom," Patrick said.

And as for Dewhurst, who has distanced himself from the controversy: "Well, his fingerprints are all over this, Patrick said. "And everybody knows it."