Frank Lautenberg: “earlier today, we were led to believe that we had an agreement with House conferees to pass a bill that will reform our…”

“earlier today, we were led to believe that we had an agreement with House conferees to pass a bill that will reform our intelligence community and make America safer from the threat of terrorism. Now we find out that House Republicans have killed the bill. This morning, I was one of 11 Senate conferees--6 Republicans, 5 Democrats--who signed the conference report to the Intelligence Reform bill. Remember: the conference report is to a bill the Senate passed 96-2. The bill the Senate passed, in turn, was based on the recommendations of a unanimous 9/11 Commission--5 Republicans, 5 Democrats. Now, we find out that House Republican conferees have rejected the conference report. They have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. From what I gather, the problem is not with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Hoekstra, who has been leading the conference committee. What these House Republican conferees have done is a slap in the face of the Senate, the bipartisan 9/11 Commission, and the 9/11 families who have worked so hard to make something positive happen in the wake of a horrific national tragedy. New Jersey lost 700 of its citizens on 9/11; I have to wonder if these House Republican conferees would be behaving differently if they went through what we in New Jersey went through.”