The House today nearly passed the strongest measure congress has seen since whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked details of some of the NSA's top secret surveillance programs.

Following a spirited and occasionally acrimonious debate, which included a thinly veiled swipe at bill co-author congressman Justin Amash for only caring about his Facebook "likes," the House narrowly defeated the amendment to limit the NSA's bulk phone record collection powers, 205-217.

The focus on the amendment to the House's defense appropriations package intensified last evening when the White House issued a rare statement opposing it. "This blunt approach is not the product of an informed, open, or deliberative process," the White House's statement read.

While the amendment, co-authored by Amash, a relatively junior Republican, and Conyers, a veteran liberal Democrat, failed to get the votes, civil libertarians are considering those 205 "yes" votes a major step in the right direction.

The roll call is here. A majority of Republicans voted against it, 94-134, while a majority of Democrats voted for it, 111-83.

Spencer Ackerman has more details in The Guardian's full story: