Richard Burr: “The Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is a unique committee. We are selected by the leadership, we are asked to…”

“The Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is a unique committee. We are selected by the leadership, we are asked to serve, we are asked to uphold the secrecy and the confidentiality of what goes on in that committee, and we are asked to reassure the Members of the House that do not have the type of access that we do that we are in fact doing our job. So let me assure every Member, Republican and Democrat, we are doing our job. There is a difference today, and I do not hold the individuals on the other side of the aisle responsible. I think the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) put it well, politics is alive and well in Washington. It is an election year, and I think that strings are getting pulled. And I make a pledge to the Members on that side of the aisle: That when this bill has passed, and I hope you vote for it on final passage, that we will work together in that committee. We will make sure that the tools are available to our intelligence community.”