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Facing "insurrection" by U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Cascade Township, and fellow lawmakers, House GOP leaders have postponed consideration of a defense spending bill, Politico reported Thursday evening.

(Emily Zoladz | Mlive.com)

Update: Rep. Justin Amash notches significant win in push to derail federal spying tactics

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A push by U.S. Rep. Justin Amash and fellow lawmakers to defund federal surveillance tactics reportedly is stalling consideration of a defense spending bill.

Facing "insurrection" by Amash and others over efforts to limit changes to 2014 defense appropriations, House leaders have postponed meetings to mull the measure, Politico reported Thursday, July 18.

Amash, R-Cascade Township, authored a bipartisan amendment to the bill earlier this week that would forbid money from being used to collect Americans' phone records.

The proposed change appears to be imperiled by back-and-forth between House rank and file and leadership over the recently revealed federal spying, Politico reported.

A House Rules Committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday never addressed defense spending, and Thursday's meeting was postponed, according to Politico.

That committee approves or rejects proposed amendments to legislation and sets rules for debating them before they can reach the House floor.

The panel's latest postponement "appears to be the result of an insurrection led by" Amash, who has blasted GOP leaders for signaling they will limit tweaks to the defense bill.

Multiple reports have surfaced this week that Amash's proposed change has exposed something of a rift between lawmakers and House leaders over federal surveillance.

The National Journal reported Wednesday that GOP top brass might try several avenues to limit debate on the issue, something Amash predicted would fall flat.

For their part, though, House leaders have been candid about why they might limit changes to the defense spending bill.

Rules Committee Chair Pete Sessions last week penned a letter to lawmakers, saying that "sensitive and ongoing" national security issues were the driving factor.

Phone record snooping by the National Security Administration, and aid to Syria and Egypt, are specific points of contention, Amash spokesman Will Adams told Politico.

"There are a significant number of members who have said they won’t support a rule that doesn’t allow debate on those three issues," Adams said.

“We only need something like 16 or 17 Republicans because all the Democrats always vote against our rules.”

Amash has been a vocal critic of NSA surveillance revealed by leaker Edward Snowden, a former contractor on the lam in Russia.

Snowden leaked documents showing the agency obtained millions of Americans' phone records in the quest to root out terrorist suspects, riling civil liberties advocates like Amash.

Amash introduced the defense spending amendment (PDF) in an attempt to derail the tactics. He also has joined efforts to limit financial and military aid in Syria and Egypt.

House GOP leaders apparently are working to compromise on the NSA amendment, Adams told Politico, but "he has little hope for the effort."

"It’s either you collect everyone’s data without substantial judicial involvement or you don’t," Adams said.

With the Rules Committee's consideration of the bill in flux, it is not expected to wend its way to the full House for a vote until next week.

Whether Amash's amendment is attached, in some form or another, remains to be seen. Its cosponsors include Reps. John Conyers, D-Detroit; Jared Polis, D-Colo.; Thomas Massie, R-Ky.; and Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C.

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