Garamendi 'Deeply Disappointed' Anti-NSA Measure Failed in Congress

An effort to stop the National Security Agency's mass-collection of telephone records narrowly failed in Congress Wednesday, although Rep. John Garamendi (D-Fairfield) voted in favor of it.

He wasn't the only Democrat to support the amendment, pushed by Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI). The item failed 205-217, with more Democrats voting for it and the White House condemning it.

Garamendi pointed out the Amash amendment would have limited the National Security Agency's collection of phone records to only people who are currently suspects in terrorism investigations, and said he couldn't see how the current practice fits in with the Fourth Amendment.
"If everyone’s phone records are a ‘tangible thing’ for the purposes of a terrorism investigation, then our government sees everyone as a potential suspect," Garamendi said in a statement posted to his website. "That’s nowhere in the Constitution I swore an oath to defend."
He said he was "deeply disappointed" the measure failed.
"The NSA misled Congress about the extent of this program, and it misled the American people on the extent Congress was informed about this program," he said in the statement. "We’ve seen too many abuses in the past to shrug our shoulders and move on. Enough is enough. It’s time to restore checks and balances and protect our right to privacy.”
A separate amendment passed Wednesday limits the National Security Agency from gathering or storing the content of phone calls or emails, POLITICO reports.

Analysts were surprised the vote was as close as it was for the Amash amendment, although the Washington Post points out it probably would have never actually been enacted. 

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What do you think of his vote, and of the government's collection of phone record data? Tell us in the comments section below.

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