Political Quotes

“My motion to instruct is very simple. It is my intent to have the conferees instructed to insist on language in the House bill that requires the State Department to retain the independent Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. The language prevents the implementation of a proposed State Department reorganization plan that would downgrade the Office of Coordinator for Counterterrorism to the level of a Deputy Assistance Secretary of State. The Senate's language will permit this reorganization and thus the elimination of this important office. My bipartisan amendment to H.R. 2333, agreed to by the House last June, creates a permanent statutory office maintaining this counterterrorism function at the highly visible equivalency level of Assistant Secretary of State. Under the proposed reorganization plan, the current Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism will be eliminated unless we act. Unless this language is retained by the conference, the counterterrorism function will be delegated down to that of a midlevel Deputy Assistant Secretary.”