Who Switched Votes on the Patriot Act?
In the unexpectedly drawn-out reauthorization of the Patriot Act in February of 2011 there is an unusual opportunity to study the dynamics of legislative decision-making across time, not just one cross-sectional snapshot. On February 8, House Speaker John Boehner wrangled a vote on H.R. 514 to reauthorize the Patriot Act, suspending the normal House rules for considering a bill. It didn’t get reviewed in committee. No amendments were allowed. Only 40 minutes of debate were permitted, despite the seriousness of the subject: government powers to engage in search, surveillance and seizure against people who not only have committed no crime but about whom there is no probable cause to even suspect they have.
Because of the speed-passage suspension of normal House rules by Speaker Boehner, H.R. 514 required a 2/3 vote to pass on February 8. The bill was narrowly rejected. Boehner brought the bill back six days later — still no amendments, still no committee consideration, and still very little debate. But this time, a bare majority was needed to pass Patriot Act reauthorization — and pass it did.
The pattern of votes between these two roll calls on the same bill were nearly identical… but not absolutely identical.
The following members of Congress who voted for the reauthorization of Patriot Act powers on February 8 voted against them on February 14:
Rep. Alcee Hastings (Democrat-FL, District 23)
Rep. Rick Larsen (Democrat-WA, District 2)
And the following members of Congress who voted against the reauthorization of Patriot Act powers on February 8 voted for reauthorization on February 14:
Rep. Corrine Brown (Democrat-FL, District 3)
Rep. Ted Deutch (Democrat-FL, District 19)
No Republican who voted for both bills switched his or her vote — although 8 Republicans were absent from one or the other of the votes, changing the totals in the Republican column each time.
