Anna Eshoo: “Today I think it is an historic opportunity for the Congress to confront the critical threats to our national security.…”

“Today I think it is an historic opportunity for the Congress to confront the critical threats to our national security. But the House Republican leadership unfortunately has refused to address this problem in a comprehensive and bipartisan manner. Last April, 6 long months ago, all 9 Democrats of the House Select Committee on Intelligence introduced a reform bill. We incorporated the lessons from the congressional joint inquiry into 9/11 and the intelligence failures on the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. The 9/11 Commission, inspired by the families of the victims, built on our bill and they developed a comprehensive set of recommendations to overhaul the intelligence community. The Senate, the other body, embraced the 9/11 Commission recommendations in a bipartisan manner by a vote of 96 to 2 and passed a bill that the 9/11 families support and the Commission fully endorsed. No amendment was accepted that reduced the authority of the national intelligence director or the mission of the National Counterterrorism Center. This is the bill I believe we should be voting on today. Mr. Chairman, H.R. 10 is not such a bill. It is not endorsed by the 9/11 Commission, and it does not fulfill the mandate of the victims' families, as well as I think the hopes and aspirations of the American people.”