Hamadeh to GOP: 'We need to start growing a spine'

Arizona Republican House candidate Abe Hamadeh on Friday excoriated the Republican Party for its failure to follow through on campaign promises and longstanding policies, urging lawmakers to be bold and "start growing a spine."

Appearing on the "Just the News, No Noise" television show, Hamadeh pointed to widespread Republican frustrations with the Intelligence Community and its reported abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to improperly surveil Americans, but lamented that the GOP had failed to curtail the Section 702 surveillance powers, which were set to expire at the end of the year.

"[W]hat's really disappointing is remember back in May, the Durham report came out. And every single Republican on Capitol Hill is up in arms, saying they're going to reform the FISA with the [National Defense Authorization Act]," he said. "And suddenly, six months later, they all fold. And so where's that passion? Where's that strength? We saw what they did in Durham report, you know, 278,000 times the FBI violated Americans, right? So where's the accountability?"

"We're rewarding the government by continuing this disastrous policy. So that is what I'm scared about. There's lack of accountability. And for them to get away with it, and seemingly for it to pass is becoming scary because the deep state knows they can willingly violate the law, and there won't be any consequences," he insisted. "So I'm very concerned. And I believe that a lot of Republicans supported it, because you know, the same tactics that they use, they say, 'if you don't vote for it, and there happens to be a terrorist attack,' you're going to be put to blame."

"But now, this is where we have to understand we have political leverage right now. And that's why I'm excited to be joining Congress. So I can stand up with some of the strong fighters there that we have," Hamadeh went on. "But the Republicans, we need to start growing a spine because if we lose this country, if the deep state is able to get away with what they've been doing, and the FBI and the CIA and the DOJ, you know, we are not going to become a republic any longer. And I think everyday Americans are seeing that march right now."

The House and Senate both approved the National Defense Authorization Act this week, which included a temporary extension of the Section 702 surveillance powers. The provision permits intelligence agencies to surveil foreigners abroad without a warrant, a process by which the agencies often secure information on Americans.

Republicans on the Judiciary and Intelligence committees had proposed dueling reform bills to the provision ahead of the Section 702 year-end expiration, but were unable to come to an agreement and House Speaker Mike Johnson pulled both amid the impasse.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.