Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has joined the growing number of critics House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) faces within the Republican Party, claiming that the House speaker has not stood up against Democrats in Congress.
Paul’s criticism stems from Johnson voting with 126 Democrats and 86 Republicans against an amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which would have required a warrant for federal agencies to search the data of United States citizens. The senator argued that the United States does not have a right to spy on its citizens, citing the Fourth Amendment in the U.S. Constitution.
“FISA doesn’t obey the fourth amendment, and so Speaker Johnson was incredibly wrong,” Paul said on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. “He broke the tie. He voted with the Democrats. Here we have the leader of the Republicans in the House votes with the Democrats against a warrant requirement. We also have Speaker Johnson voting for the spending package, once again with the majority of the Democrats. As I see it now, I’m not so sure there’s a difference between Mike Johnson being in charge and the Democrats being in charge.”
The Kentucky senator noted how Johnson “seemed” to be a conservative when he became House speaker, but argued that he has failed to make any real progress for House Republicans. He added that both Democrats and national security “hawks” have benefited from Johnson’s recent voting decisions.
“But Johnson hasn’t held his ground,” Paul said. “He has power, he has the majority. Use the power of the purse, Speaker Johnson. Do something to make us think you are different than the Democrats, but so far, I don’t see a lot of difference.”
This FISA legislation is currently stuck in the House, as lawmakers went back and forth on how to proceed right after the bill passed. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) demanded a recorded vote on the motion to table, which will take place as early as Monday, keeping the bill from reaching the Senate until that time.
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In the wake of the FISA vote and the vote to add the warrant requirement amendment, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) warned that some Republicans who voted against the amendment could see him in their district to campaign against them in the upcoming elections.
Amid Johnson’s growing criticism, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) filed a motion to vacate the House speaker last month. Similar to Paul’s criticism of the House speaker, Greene has claimed there is no difference between him and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
