Phil Gingrey: “I know that as we go through our time in the Congress, each of us wants to be remembered for some signature…”

“I know that as we go through our time in the Congress, each of us wants to be remembered for some signature accomplishment, and Madam Speaker, I want to commend the gentlewoman from New Mexico. I would say that maybe she's got many signature issues that she brought before the membership of this body, but certainly this issue of intelligence and national security is a signature issue. I commend her for her will and determination in trying to explain to her colleagues on both sides of the aisle an issue that may be somewhat difficult to understand. There is a lot of arcaneness about this issue when you try to get into the weeds of it. So it's important to have Members like Representative Heather Wilson and Peter Hoekstra, ranking member on the House Select Committee on Intelligence, to help frame this issue for us. But I think it's important to understand, as my neighbor, my colleague and friend from Oregon, Representative Walden, just pointed out, the bottom line, when you cut right to the chase, is that last Thursday we left this place and went home for our district work period during the Presidents Day recess without addressing this issue and we took a break.”