Dutch Ruppersberger: “First I want to recognize the distinguished vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Mr. Hastings, for his hard work…”

“First I want to recognize the distinguished vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Mr. Hastings, for his hard work over the course of his 8 years on the committee. I had the privilege of serving with Mr. Hastings, and know he was committed to supporting our intelligence professionals. He was a leader on the issue of diversity in the intelligence community, and I applaud him for those efforts. Having a diverse intelligence community workforce is not simply the right thing to do, but it is critical to our mission. Today, I am pleased to join my colleague and friend Michele Bachmann in support of H.R. 754, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011. I thank her for her comments about partisan politics. The Intelligence Committee is a bipartisan committee that works together. The stakes are too high for us not to work together, and that's what we're attempting to do. Now, the killing of Osama bin Laden is clearly the most monumental intelligence achievement in recent history. Our intelligence professionals worked together as a team, brought Osama bin Laden to justice, and killed him. It was a risky mission that was executed with intense training and a high level of skill. These professionals risked their lives to keep our country safe, and no American lives were lost. I am pleased that Congress can provide the intelligence community with the resources, capabilities, authorities, and oversight they need to continue this great work.…”