A bill critics said would expand Patriot Act surveillance went down in the U.S. House Monday night after failing to garner the necessary two-thirds support of the chamber.
The “Anti-terrorism Information Sharing is Strength Act,” HR 5606, would have amended the USA Patriot Act to allow financial institutions to share information with law enforcement agencies and one another regarding suspected “activities that may involve terrorist acts, money laundering activities, or a specified unlawful activity.”
Previously, such sharing was allowed regarding only “terrorist acts or money laundering activities.”
The final vote on the bill, which was considered under a fast-track process that required it to amass a two-thirds majority for passage, was 229-177.
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Libertarian Congressman Justin Amash (R-Mich.) led the opposition, saying the legislation expanded the Patriot Act to let the government “demand info on any American [without] due process.”
According to The Hill:
The bill—and its Orwellian title—also drew the attention of privacy advocates like digital rights group Fight for the Future.
This isn’t the only recent attempt by Congress to expand the snooping powers of the Patriot Act. The U.S. Senate failed to pass a similar effort last month.
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