Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 is a solid, bipartisan bill, one that garnered unanimous approval in the committee by voice vote. I thank my committee colleagues and the entire HPSCI staff for their collaborative efforts in crafting the measure that we consider here today. In the 114th Congress, this committee worked in a similar bipartisan fashion to pass into law four key pieces of national security legislation. I am proud of our past legislative accomplishments, which testify to the virtues of substantive deliberation and reasoned compromise without needing to compromise the security of the American people or of our brave servicemembers. Reflecting on the past year, on Russia's assault on Western democracies, and on other challenges as well, from everything to include North Korea's unrelenting pursuit of a strategic nuclear capability, we owe the American people a deliberate process. I wish the bill had come to the floor with a rule that allowed Members to offer amendments. That opportunity is commensurate with the importance of the intelligence bill and the need for vigorous oversight of the IC by the whole Congress. Nonetheless, the manifest shortcomings in the process cannot take precedence over the imperative of discharging our duty and authorizing the operations of the intelligence community. On its merits, I urge all Members to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 3180 today.…”