Feb 092011
 

Is the Tea Party revolting?  Sometimes.  Their extremism will challenge the stability of most stomachs from time to time, but today, we owe several of them a debt of gratitude.  Some of them put their principles ahead of party and voted not to extend the unPATRIOT Act.  I’ve taken names.

9PatriotActThe Republican-led House on Tuesday failed to pass a short-term extension of the USA Patriot Act favored by GOP leaders, an unexpected political setback that shows the difficulty the party faces in keeping control of their new majority, with its legion of tea party-inspired members.

Key provisions of the terrorist surveillance law expire at the end of the month, and a coalition of veteran Republican lawmakers and conservative new members blocked passage of a measure that many tea party activists see as federal government over-reach into private affairs.

The unexpected turn of events will require the White House, which is seeking to extend the Sept. 11-era bill through 2013, to work with congressional leaders to devise a new strategy for passage.

"I am disappointed in the outcome of tonight’s vote," said Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), the author of the original act. "We are now under a time crunch."

The House voted 277-148 under a process that required a two-thirds vote, ending up seven votes short. Twenty-six Republicans voted against the bill. Democrats were divided, with 67 voting in favor and 122 against.

GOP leaders chose the ill-fated process to avoid amendments that could have ended up restructuring the measure.

The measure would have renewed three key provisions of the Patriot Act. Civil libertarians have long opposed the provisions as unwarranted federal surveillance power, a view shared by top congressional Democrats.

Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, called the act Tuesday "one of the worst laws this body has ever passed."… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <LA Times>

Here are the Representatives from both parties who voted against renewal.  The Democrats are italicized.

Amash

Andrews

Baldwin

Bartlett

Bass (CA)

Becerra

Berman

Bishop (UT)

Blumenauer

Brady (PA)

Braley (IA)

Broun (GA)

Brown (FL)

Campbell

Capps

Capuano

Carson (IN)

Chu

Cicilline

Clarke (MI)

Clarke (NY)

Clay

Cleaver

Clyburn

Cohen

Conyers

Costello

Crowley

Cummings

Davis (IL)

DeFazio

DeGette

DeLauro

Deutch

Dingell

Doggett

Doyle

Duncan (TN)

Edwards

Ellison

Engel

Eshoo

Farr

Fattah

Filner

Fitzpatrick

Frank (MA)

Fudge

Garamendi

Gibson

Gonzalez

Graves (GA)

Green, Al

Green, Gene

Grijalva

Hanabusa

Heller

Himes

Hinchey

Hirono

Holt

Honda

Hultgren

Jackson (IL)

Jackson Lee (TX)

Johnson (GA)

Johnson (IL)

Johnson, E. B.

Jones

Kaptur

Kildee

Kingston

Kucinich

Labrador

Larson (CT)

Lee (CA)

Lewis (GA)

Loebsack

Lofgren, Zoe

Luján

Mack

Maloney

Marchant

Markey

Matsui

McClintock

McCollum

McDermott

McGovern

Meeks

Michaud

Miller, George

Moore

Moran

Nadler

Napolitano

Neal

Olver

Owens

Pallone

Pastor (AZ)

Paul

Payne

Pelosi

Pingree (ME)

Polis

Price (NC)

Rangel

Rehberg

Richardson

Richmond

Roe (TN)

Rohrabacher

Roybal-Allard

Rush

Ryan (OH)

Sánchez, Linda T.

Sanchez, Loretta

Sarbanes

Schakowsky

Schilling

Schrader

Schweikert

Scott (VA)

Serrano

Sherman

Slaughter

Stark

Sutton

Thompson (CA)

Thompson (MS)

Tierney

Tonko

Towns

Velázquez

Visclosky

Walz (MN)

Wasserman Schultz

Waters

Watt

Waxman

Weiner

Welch

Wilson (FL)

Woodall

Woolsey

Wu

Young (AK)

I think we owe each of them a thank you, including the Republicans.  If one of these Reps is yours, why not give them a call?

Finally, I am ashamed of Barack Obama, because he supported this monstrosity.  The unPATRIOT Act is Bush’s violation of our Constitutional rights, not change I can believe in.

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  17 Responses to “unPatriot Fails! Is the Tea Party Revolting?”

  1. It was a dumb law then… it’s a dumb law now…..

  2. Not saying it’s right, but Obama supports it for 2 reasons;
    1. Bush created it, had it, used it, etc, so why shouldn’t a Democratic President have the same power?
    2. Once a POTUS gets a POWER, THEY LIKE it, and they DON’T WANT TO LET IT GO. 🙄

    • 1. God forbid that another Republican should have the power again.

      2. I agree, but I consider this a betrayal, because Obama campaigned specifically on ending the Republican assault on our privacy and civil liberties.

  3. I’m thrilled but angrier at my Democratic Rep – Jim Cooper – more than I am at Obama. I’m not privy to what info/advice he receives, although I think he was going down the wrong path with this.

  4. It’s encouraging that a few teabaggers actually mean it when they talk about “Freedom” and “limited government.” Usually it’s just a code word for letting Wall Street and the HMOs do exactly what they want when they want, but I’m glad a few of them actually mean what they say.

  5. Unfortunately, this victory will be short-lived. The vote was brought up under suspension rules which requires a two-thirds majority, as well as blocks adding any amendments and limits debate. It’ll be voted on later where only a simple majority is needed. But at least under those rules it’ll be open for amendments and debate.

    The good news is that it clearly demonstrates the total incompetence of the Teapublican “leadership” in running the House.

    • Nameless, I agree, but if it’s going to be passed again, I want it highly publicized amidst intense debate. I want passing it to be politically expensive for all who support it, including Obama.

  6. Jane Harman cracked me the hell up on this vote. The stupid twit thought it passed as if it were a simple majority vote. Another Blue dog bites the dust. I so love seeing Republicans eating their own.
    This patriot bill was bullshit from the start. Americas motto then was be afraid be very afraid. Take my rights please…(snare drum) padada I’ll be here all week…tip your waitress…

  7. From what I understand, this was supposed to be a pro forma vote. I think it took the Boehner by surprise. The tea party faction is so ideologically driven that it often trumps party allegiance. Should be interesting going forward.

  8. This unconstitutional monstrosity of a law should have never passed in the first place. Unfortunately, laws like this are passed when vindictive and paranoid conservatives control the government, which is to say they should never do so again!

  9. Wow – that’s a lot of Repubs defecting. 😛

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