Republican Andy Biggs, who unsuccessfully challenged Kevin McCarthy in the House speaker race, will lead the Judiciary subcommittee on crime and federal government surveillance.
(Bloomberg) — Republican Andy Biggs, who unsuccessfully challenged Kevin McCarthy in the House speaker race, will lead the Judiciary subcommittee on crime and federal government surveillance.
It’s a prime assignment for the Arizona conservative, who has blasted – sometimes without evidence – the US government for spying on Americans.
The former House Freedom Caucus chair from Arizona has several times introduced what he calls the Fourth Amendment Restoration Act, described as a full repeal the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). It would prohibit warrantless surveillance of American citizens.
Biggs was the first Republican to challenge McCarthy for the speaker job during a contest that ultimately went a historic 15 rounds. He relented and voted “present,” helping McCarthy get the job.
Also Friday, Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan announced that Republican Darrell Issa will chair the panel’s subcommittee on courts, intellectual property and the internet.
Some inventors have protested Issa’s assignment, arguing he has pushed for legislation damaging to small patent holders.
Issa, one of the wealthiest members of Congress, boasts in the biography on his website that he holds 37 patents and “has been vigilant about protecting intellectual property rights.”
There was no immediate comment from spokesmen for Issa and Biggs.
Biggs is an ally of former President Donald Trump, who like Jordan declined to appear under subpoena before the House panel that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol.
In reintroducing his legislation last year, Biggs asserted that “it’s imperative to have a surveillance apparatus to address national security concerns, but it also must protect Americans’ constitutional rights.”
–With assistance from Erik Wasson.
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