JOHN LINDER: “I rise in support of this structured rule, and thank my friend and colleague from the Rules Committee, Mrs. Myrick, for…”

“I rise in support of this structured rule, and thank my friend and colleague from the Rules Committee, Mrs. Myrick, for yielding me this time. H. Res. 686 is a structured rule that provides for the consideration of H.R. 4548, the FY2005 Intelligence Authorization Act of 2005. It is a fair and balanced rule that deserves the support of the House. It makes in order a total of ten (10) separate amendments to the underlying bill, three from members of the minority and the remainder from members of the majority. These ten amendments were more than half of the 18 amendments submitted to the Rules Committee. Mr. Speaker, I also rise in support of the underlying measure, H.R. 4548, which authorizes funding for critical intelligence programs for FY2005. I want to commend Chairman Goss for bringing this legislation to the floor. As Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for the past eight years, the gentleman from Sanibel, Florida has served this country with honor, integrity, and distinction. His tenure has been marked by a tireless effort to improve and reform our nation's intelligence capabilities. He has never wavered in his steadfast desire to invest in this critical government function, and while there is still work to be done, his leadership has helped the intelligence community deal with a turbulent global environment.”