Staff Reports
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) caused a stir this week when he did a 180 on his stance about surveillance laws. It turns out, after he got a super secret briefing, he decided that it’s totally okay to spy on Americans without a warrant. In the past, Johnson was all about protecting Americans’ privacy, but now he’s singing a different tune.
Turncoat
Speaker Mike Johnson Claims Classified Briefing Made Him Flip-Flop on Spy Powers Reform https://t.co/p6FHM0xv15
— Toxic Avenger 1 (@ToxiAvenger2) April 12, 2024
You see, Johnson used to be all about closing a loophole that let intelligence agencies buy private info from third-party data brokers without a warrant. But now, he’s changed his mind and is against putting any limits on spying. What happened, you ask? Well, Johnson claims he got this super hush-hush briefing that gave him a “different perspective.”
Some other members of Congress, like Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), are calling out Johnson for caving to the pressure of the “D.C. cartel” and letting the intelligence agencies strong-arm him into changing his mind. They’re saying the spooks are trying to scare him into submission.
But not everyone is on board with Johnson’s flip-flop. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) says that if these surveillance laws expire, it’s not the end of the world. He points out that when a similar law expired in the past, the intelligence community kept on doing their thing. So, maybe it’s not as big a deal as Johnson is making it out to be.
Rep. John Rose (R-TN) is also not buying into Johnson’s change of heart. He’s saying that letting the surveillance program die wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. In fact, he’s saying it might be the best thing Congress could do.
So, there you have it. Johnson got spooked by some spooky briefing and now he’s all for spying on Americans without a warrant. But not everyone is buying his story. Some folks are saying there’s more to this story than meets the eye.
