Steven Holt: “we need to pass an Intelligence Authorization bill before the year is over. If we don't, our nation's intelligence…”

“we need to pass an Intelligence Authorization bill before the year is over. If we don't, our nation's intelligence community will not be able to take advantage of the much-needed increases in funding that we in Congress have appropriated for them. At this time in our Nation's history, when we face so many threats, we simply can't allow that. But we need to pass an intelligence authorization bill that addresses all of the challenges we face. That means including the provision so many of us support for an independent commission to investigate the 911 terrorist attacks. Many of my constituents lost their loved ones in the World Trade Center attacks. I am here on the floor today because widows like Lori Van Auken, Mindy Kleinberg, and Patty Casazza from central New Jersey do not want other Americans to share the fate of their husbands. They want our government to ensure that it is doing absolutely everything it can to prevent future terrorist attacks from claiming American lives. The Administration keeps telling the public that another terrorist attack is inevitable. They say it is not whether another attack will happen, but when it will happen. Another attack is only inevitable if we do not fully examine what went wrong prior to 911. It is only inevitable if we do not learn from our mistakes. All of us want to improve coordination and communication between the government agencies that are responsible for our security.”