Feb. 9, 2011 (Bloomberg) -- House Republicans failed to muster the votes needed to extend for nine months the government’s authority to conduct roving wiretaps of suspected terrorists, along with two other expiring sections of counter-terrorism law.
The measure fell short yesterday of the two-thirds majority needed under the streamlined procedures used by Republican leaders. The vote marked the first time since the party took control of the chamber last month that House Speaker John Boehner wasn’t able to deliver the votes to pass legislation.
Today, Boehner and other Republican leaders blamed Democrats, citing the “no” votes of 36 members from that party who voted last year to extend the provisions until Feb. 28.
“We are not going to be perfect every day but if the Democrats who had voted for these same provisions last year would have voted for them this year, it would have passed,” Boehner said.
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