C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger: “first, I want to start out with strong praise for the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence…”

“first, I want to start out with strong praise for the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra). He has bridged differences among many Members who had reservations about this bill, so I thank him for his leadership. I also want to thank our leader, the committee's ranking Democrat, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman), for her vision and tenacity in pursuing intelligence reform. She was the driving force behind the introduction of a reform bill back in April, months before the 9/11 report was released. Now, this is an historic measure. We are doing more than rearranging boxes on an organizational chart. We are ensuring that the intelligence community has one boss to ensure better communication and accountability. I spent close to 18 years in local government, where I managed a large county, close to 19,000 employees; and I know that workers need to answer to one person who sets policy and manages the budget. This is critically important to help prevent another terrorist attack and to protect our families and communities.”