Saxby Chambliss: “I wish to speak about H.R. 6304, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Act. Before I do that, I wish to…”

“I wish to speak about H.R. 6304, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Act. Before I do that, I wish to make a couple comments relative to the comments made by my colleague from California regarding the TSP or terrorist surveillance program implemented by the President within days after September 11, and make sure Americans are very clear about two points: First of all, Congress did know about this program. Members of Congress were briefed throughout the duration of this program. Members of Congress were briefed on a regular basis. That doesn't mean every Member of Congress but the leadership knew exactly what was going on, exactly what the President was doing. They were kept very informed. Secondly, the targets of the terrorist surveillance program were not Americans; the program targeted the communications of al-Qaida, that we knew--not guessed but that the intelligence community knew were used by al-Qaida. Today, al-Qaida gets up every morning, just as they did before and after September 11, and they think of ways to kill and harm Americans. Our intelligence community, without getting into the details of it, suffice it to say, has done a magnanimous job since then in protecting Americans. The fact that we have not suffered another attack on domestic soil since then indicates the terrific job that members of the intelligence community have done.”