On a 224-192 vote, largely along party lines, the House adopted its proposal to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The measure, known as the RESTORE Act, would replace a temporary FISA update approved in August.
The bill does not include a provision to grant legal immunity to telecommunications companies that the Bush administration has demanded and it restores the role of the FISA court in approving surveillance methods used by the National Security Agency that could ensnare Americans.
Link
This is the problem with political parties. Someone has "sold" you on the notion of party loyalty. Follow the most senior party member through thick and thin, the American Way be damned? "Well, the President is the most senior Republican, so I'll stick by him or I'll be in trouble." The President runs nothing. The people who control Presidents are not Democrats or Republicans. They have no national or party affiliation. They are dismantling your system of law so that they can arrange things to their benefit.
What's the ratio of Democrats to Republicans in the House? I don't know; for simplicity's sake let's say 3 to 2. How many Representatives do we have? Four hundred and thirty-five?
By your short-sighted adherence to parties, you have reduced the quantity of the debate and the viewpoints and the wisdom of 435 persons down to five.
You have a House of Representatives populated by five people, three of whom vote one way and two of whom vote another. (If we assume 3:2 Democrat to Republican, for simple argument's sake.)
Political parties should be smashed just like labor unions.
The question, "What's your party affiliation" is as idiotic as, "What's your major?"
