U.S. HOUSE

Extension of Warrantless Surveillance Program: The House on Jan. 11 approved, 256-164, a six-year extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is a key government tool for detecting and preventing foreign-based terrorist attacks on the United States, but also a target of criticism that it imperils the privacy rights of innocent Americans. A yes vote was to pass S 139.

Voting yes: David Rouzer

Voting no: Walter Jones

Privacy Rights in Surveillance Law: Voting 183-233, the House on Jan. 11 defeated an amendment that sought to better protect the Fourth Amendment privacy rights of innocent Americans whose voice and digital communications with foreigners are inadvertently swept up in collections of data under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. A yes vote was to adopt the amendment to S 139 (above).

Voting yes: Jones

Voting no: Rouzer

Limits on FBI Searches: Voting 189-227, the House on Jan. 11 refused to expand the types of FBI searches of commercial telecom databases that require specific search warrants under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The underlying bill (S 139, above) requires the FBI to obtain FISA-court warrants based on probable cause for searches targeting Americans in investigations linked to national security and foreign intelligence. This measure sought to require such warrants for all FBI searches of FISA databases. A yes vote was to adopt the motion.

Voting yes: Jones

Voting no: Rouzer

Labor Rights on Tribal Lands: The House on Jan. 10 voted, 239-173, to remove Indian reservations from the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Board. The bill would repeal collective-bargaining rights and other federally guaranteed workplace protections now available to 600,000 or more employees of tribal casinos, at least three-fourths of whom are not tribal members. A yes vote was to send S 140 to the Senate.

Voting yes: Jones, Rouzer

U.S. SENATE

Extension of Warrantless Surveillance Program: The Senate on Jan. 11 voted, 68 for and 27 against, to start legislative action on a House-passed measure (S 139, above) that would extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) through 2023, with debate and a final vote on the bill expected within days.

Voting yes: Richard Burr, R; Thom Tillis, R