House Republicans voiced frustrations about how House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) handled the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The annual defense policy bill included a temporary extension of FISA’s Section 702, which gives the government warrantless surveillance powers.

U.S. Senate Approves National Defense Authorization Act, Extends FISA Warrantless Spying

Although Section 702 was set to expire at the end of this year, the negotiated NDAA extended the unconstitutional spy powers until April 19th.

According to Just the News, House GOP leaders “pulled two FISA reform bills from the House floor.”

The outlet cited several House Republicans upset with the NDAA pushed through Congress.

“I love our military. That’s why I voted for the NDAA passed this summer under Speaker McCarthy that included a 30% pay raise for junior members of the military. But the NDAA negotiated by Speaker Johnson, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell and Hakeem Jeffries removed that pay raise,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said.

“Not only that, it didn’t remove Ukraine funding and doubled it to $600 million, funded abortion vacations, and kept trans in our military. Worst of all, they shoved the FISA spy court into our defense bill. The NDAA should NEVER reauthorize the weaponization of our justice system that Joe Biden’s DOJ and the FBI are using to spy on American citizens,” she added.

More from Just the News:

Other conservatives vented their frustrations with the NDAA process.

“More Dems just voted for the BAD NDAA deal than Republicans. I voted AGAINST it because the Senate stripped most of the things that made it a good bill in the summer, and they added the FISA extension without reforms,” Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., the new chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, wrote on X.

Good also said in a statement that “unfortunately, the NDAA also promotes radical Green New Deal policies, implements anti-Second Amendment provisions which would increase the Federal government’s ability to track and control firearm ownership by servicemembers, and is a green light for the radical agenda of Secretary Austin and General Milley.”

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said the House Freedom Caucus met with Johnson about FISA and the NDAA and emphasized that Congress has the power of the purse and they should exercise it.

The congressman said he would have liked to see the House stay in session longer to hash out FISA reform and the NDAA rather than pass the NDAA with reauthorization of FISA included.

“I regret that I rise in opposition to the FY24 NDAA because there is a great deal of good in it. But only in Washington must we bring a bill to the floor so that we are able to militarily confront China, while at the same time embracing the policies that make the United States more like China,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said.

“This bill is insufficient to deal with the structural challenges that we see at the Department of Defense where they have veered substantially left. It does not deserve an affirmative vote with the unnecessary and uncalled-for extension of FISA spying authorities that we know have already been abused,” he added.

WATCH:

“Should Speaker Mike Johnson be removed from his position?” asked popular conservative influencer account Shadow of Ezra.

Shadow of Ezra writes:

House Speaker Mike Johnson and the Republican House majority just voted for:

  • More warrantless spying on Americans
  • More taxpayer funded abortion trips
  • More taxpayer funded sex changes
  • More money for Ukraine and Israel

“Your new Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and 146 other Republicans in Congress just passed the NDAA, which authorizes $600 million more to Ukraine. Time to remove MAGA from ‘MAGA Mike’s’ nickname. He was never MAGA to begin with,” investigative journalist Laura Loomer wrote.

“Here’s the text from the bill and the list of names of the 147 GOP reps who voted for this today,” she added.

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Johnson drew criticism earlier this week after being photographed with former House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Per Newsweek:

House Speaker Mike Johnson was smacked with criticism and warning from supporters of former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement after the congressman was photographed with former House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Ryan, a Republican, served as speaker from 2015 to early January 2019, deciding against a reelection bid in 2018. After working with the ex-president for two years, Ryan left office and began denouncing Trump, the front-runner for the GOP nomination in the 2024 presidential election.

A photo of Ryan and Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, began circulating on social media Wednesday, triggering an uproar by Trump supporters. The photo shows Ryan and Johnson with their heads down as they descend a staircase in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Jake Sherman, founder of Punchbowl News, first shared the photo on X, formerly Twitter, writing, “NEW —@SpeakerRyan and @SpeakerJohnson just emerged from the speaker’s suite together.”

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