Christopher Shays: “I rise to thank the Members on both sides of the aisle for the basic decorum that has existed during the past 2 days. I…”

“I rise to thank the Members on both sides of the aisle for the basic decorum that has existed during the past 2 days. I am beginning to feel that tempers are getting a little short, but we do not have much further to go. I, for one, have been the focus of the majority leader's disappointment sometimes, but I have never ever questioned his sincerity, his fairness, or his motives. They are beyond reproach. And I just would say to the Members there is a danger, obviously, when you have a manager's amendment that has 19 parts. There is going to be something that somebody does not like. That is the risk. Everyone can find some part of a comprehensive amendment they do not like. They can find a reason to vote against it. There are just too many important parts of this amendment to cause its defeat. We need this manager's amendment. Having said this I now would like to take the time to express my disappointment that I did not make the manager's amendment, that I did not have an amendment I want called to order. I would like Members to listen to what this was. My amendment said the 'Director of Central Intelligence shall, to the maximum extent practical, in accordance with the law, render full assistance and support to the Department and the Secretary.' I am told this was not included because the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence had a problem with this. That, to me, is the very reason why it should have been included.”