Political Quotes

“OK. I will take that under advisement. I would simply close with further evidence of the importance of this legislation and try to respond to what the Senator from Arizona said about its impact on the Defense Department. Section 8 of the IG Act already contains an exception that allows the Secretary of Defense to prohibit the inspector general from conducting an investigation and gathering documents to protect national security. The exception is broad. The Secretary may block an IG investigation if it is necessary to preserve the national security interests of the United States and if the information the IG has requested concerns sensitive operation plans, intelligence matters, counterintelligence matters, ongoing criminal investigations, and other matters that would constitute a serious threat to national security if disclosed. In addition, cosponsors and I worked with the Committee on Armed Services last year to ensure that the bill makes the Secretary of Defense's authority to restrict certain types of sensitive information even more clear than it was in the 1978 legislation. After we made those changes, Senator McCain, as I have already said, cleared this version of the access language last year. I guess at this point I am going to yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.”