
© www.freedomworks.orgSenator John McCain: Ratz! Foiled again!
With only two votes to spare, the US Senate blocked a controversial bill that would expand the government's power to investigate terrorism suspects without a warrant. The amendment was defeated Wednesday afternoon with a final vote of 58-38, just two votes shy of the 60 necessary for the measure to proceed.
The measure, which was to be attached to the Commerce, Justice, Science spending bill,
would have allowed the FBI to obtain a person's Internet browsing history, email account data and other electronic identifiers without first obtaining a warrant from a judge. Top Republicans have been
pressing for such a measure since the Orlando nightclub shooting, where a man murdered 49 people and injured 53 others after pledging allegiance to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).
The votes largely fell along party lines, with 11 Democrats supporting the proposal and six Republicans opposing it. The amendment was put forward by
Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) and Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman
Richard Burr (R-North Carolina) to
give the government greater ability to stop lone wolf terrorists. "We aren't asking for content, we're asking for usage," McCain said in support of the measure, according to AP. "This is an important tool."
Comment: Priceless Putin at his intellectual best. The man does not suffer fools.