I believe we need to send a similarly clear message.

We know that those interrogations can provide critical intelligence, but the protections afforded by our civil justice system as opposed to the military tribunal system can encourage terrorists to lawyer up and to stop answering questions.

There is, in fact, precedent for detaining someone on American soil as an enemy combatant in the military system, and that is Jose Padilla.

It is outrageous that our Nation's top intelligence officials were never even consulted on this vital decision.

I was shocked to learn from the GAO that 1,150 people on the terrorist watchlist as of Christmas Day had valid U.S. visas.

It has not been exercised.

the intelligence community is resistant to change, but change is precisely what the Intelligence Reform Act directed the DNI to achieve

We dodged a bullet in the skies above Detroit on Christmas Day.

The President must empower his senior officials to use every authority available to them to defeat the terrorist threat.

I do not think it is a good answer to say, well, thousands of people could have found this information, because that is not the job of thousands of people.

To me, when it says that the Director of the CIA shall report to the Director of National Intelligence regarding the activities of the CIA, it says 'shall.'

We need to ensure, I think, that the DHS has the identifying information it needs about international passengers at least 24 hours before departure.

Today's hearing focuses on two fundamental questions. Why was the Christmas Day bomber allowed to travel to the United States? And why was his name not included on the terrorist watchlist?

We did not choose this war. It was thrust upon us by terrorists who are determined to destroy our way of life.

In fact, my favorite name for the bill is the Collins-Lieberman Intelligence Reform Act.

the DNI was established to be, in Secretary Powell's memorable words, the 'quarterback' of the intelligence community

traveling to our country is not a right, it is a privilege

It sounds deja-vu all over again.

It is a point that has been of great concern to the Chairman and me for some time.

the idea that there is resistance on this is really troubling to me.

One of the issues that really troubles me is a conversation that I had with a member of the intelligence community who said, you do not understand.

I guess what I am troubled by is it is still discretionary in a way.

What worries me about that approach is it seems to me to not really be risk-based and to encourage terrorists to travel through other countries or use citizens of countries that are not on the 14-country list.

The government should immediately identify and suspend the visas of all persons listed in the broadest terrorist database.

I think it is very troubling that it was not and that three key intelligence officials were not asked their opinion.