The provision was tucked deep into the over 3,000-page long NDAA
A government shutdown is avoidable: Sen. Mike Lee
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, tells ‘Sunday Morning Futures’ that the best way to avoid a government shutdown is to extend government spending for a few weeks to ‘pick up’ the bills ‘one by one.’
Republican Utah Senator Mike Lee torched congressional leadership over their consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that includes an extension for "spying" on Americans.
Lee cheekily lambasted the top lawmakers of both chambers as "a law firm" in a Sunday post thread over the NDAA provision extending the controversial Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) for four months that was tucked away deeply in the over 3,000-page bill.
Section 702 of FISA authorizes the U.S. government to conduct surveillance of foreigners considered to potentially pose a threat to national security, but privacy advocates are concerned about federal law enforcement using the databases to target American citizens.
CONGRESS FEELING HEAT FROM GROUPS DEMANDING BAN ON CONTRACTS WITH CHINESE FIRM TAKING AMERICANS' DNA
Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee torched congressional leadership over their consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act that includes an extension on a for "spying" on Americans. (Cheriss May/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"CONGRESS AS A LAW FIRM: ‘Welcome to the law firm of Schumer, McConnell, Johnson, and Jeffries (‘The Firm™️’),'" Lee wrote of the Senate majority and minority leaders, and the House speaker and minority leader, respectively.
"’You should know how things work around here. You know those people you think you represent? They really need Firm Security to spy on them, even if they deny it,'" Lee continued.
"'Remember, you’re here to do whatever we tell you to do—regardless of what those you represent think," Lee continued. "And by ‘we,’ we mean the four of us—the four named partners of The Firm.'"
Lee joked that to "'be clear, Mr. Johnson is new, and we’re not yet sure whether he’ll agree with our approach to managing The Firm'" and that in "'fact, we’re afraid he might not.'"
3. “To be clear, Mr. Johnson is new, and we’re not yet sure whether he’ll agree with our approach to managing The Firm. In fact, we’re afraid he might not. But we hope he will, and are doing our best to convince him that he has no choice but to agree with the other three of us.”
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) December 10, 2023
The Utah Republican wrote that "The Firm" hopes Johnson "'will, and are doing our best to convince him that he has no choice but to agree with the other three of us.'"
Lee joked that the "'most important thing to remember'" is that "'The Firm'" is "'always right'" and that "'you shouldn’t assume that you—or those you represent—know better.'"
"'Firm Security spies on The Firm’s clients—including those who specifically chose *you* to represent them—although we refuse to tell them that. Instead, we insist that they REALLY need Firm Security to look out for them, and they shouldn’t believe anyone who claims otherwise.'"
"'The Firm will vote this week on whether to keep Firm Security doing what it’s been doing for a long time—spying on our clients, while insisting that they’re not,'" Lee continued.
"'And although some of you wanted to at least discuss changes to how Firm Security operates, we won’t let you,'" he added.
6. “The Firm will vote this week on whether to keep Firm Security doing what it’s been doing for a long time—spying on our clients, while insisting that they’re not. And although some of you wanted to at least discuss changes to how Firm Security operates, we won’t let you.”
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) December 10, 2023
Lee torched congressional leadership for including "'things that the people you represent really like, want, and need'" as provisions in the bloated spending bill and that the congressional higher-ups will "'make sure'" those who oppose the bill will "'look like an idiot'" if they "'vote against it.'"
"'In fact, if you vote against it, we’ll imply that you did so because don’t care about their safety and security,'" Lee wrote. "'You can say what you want, of course, but we’ll punish you, and many will believe us more than you. We’re the named partners of The Firm, and people listen to us.'"
8. “In fact, if you vote against it, we’ll imply that you did so because don’t care about their safety and security. You can say what you want, of course, but we’ll punish you, and many will believe us more than you. We’re the named partners of The Firm, and people listen to us.”
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) December 10, 2023
Lee joked that lawmakers "'should know that in a few weeks, we’ll be voting on what to do with every penny The Firm has to spend'" and that the lawmakers "'won’t have any choice but to support or oppose whatever proposal—in its entirety—the four named partners put together.'"
"'We’ll expect you to support that without complaint—and without proposing any changes to our spending plan—and if you complain or oppose it, we’ll tell those you represent that you wanted to shut down The Firm and leave them hanging, ultimately hurting them more than anyone,'" Lee wrote.
10. “We’ll expect you to support that without complaint—and without proposing any changes to our spending plan—and if you complain or oppose it, we’ll tell those you represent that you wanted to shut down The Firm and leave them hanging, ultimately hurting them more than anyone.”
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) December 10, 2023
Lee ended the thread by calling for Congress to stop the NDAA.
The NDAA is a must-pass legislation that authorizes military funding — as well as a slew of other things that may or may not be related to the military — to the tune of $841.4 billion to the Department of Defense.
The bill has to be passed before the end of the year to ensure military funding in a time when America's adversaries are trying to increase their influence.
Congress is expected to vote on the bill this week.
Fox News Digital reached out to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate majority and minority leaders Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for comment.
Houston Keene is a politics writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to
