If we are going to waste our time on something like this, which again, maybe there was something threatening there, but it really seems unusual in view of the cast of characters involved.

But once he came under this scope of the investigation, they had to have -- they should have notified the president because David Petraeus was involved in some of the most sensitive negotiations around the world.

If that's the case then it was a real dereliction of duty because the president's main job above all is to be commander-in-chief.

To me, that was abuse and also, whoever the FBI agent was who came and told Congressman Rankin, who told Congressman Cantor, I mean he was breaching the investigation to the ethics of the investigation.

If they were going to do that, they should have immediately gone to the attorney general and also to the president of the United States because David Petraeus was a key part of the president's foreign policy team.

At that stage, the attorney general should have immediately gone to the president. It's the president that runs foreign policy, not the attorney general.

If the president did find out about it and didn't act on it until after the election, that's equally wrong.

I'm not talking about guilt or innocence. I'm saying he's under a cloud. And I have great admiration for David Petraeus. I urged him to run for president. I've worked with him. He's a tremendous patriot.

Well, first of all, so what Fran said, the fact that this became an FBI investigation to begin with, then to me, once Director Petraeus came within the scope of the investigation, it's almost unprecedented for the FBI to be investigating…

If that's the case, then it was a real dereliction of duty because the president's main job above all is to be commander in chief.

If he knew that he was being investigated, for instance, if David Petraeus was aware of that, he may have again tried to either tailor the testimony or modify it.

It seemed because there was a personal friendship between Jill Kelley and the FBI agent, that's what brought this along.

There is nothing like this has ever hit Long Island before, certainly not in the last 70 years. I was at Lindenhurst today, Long Beach, Freeport, they have been absolutely devastated. That's the only way I can describe it.

This is going to be a long haul. There are a million customers out of power on Long Island. Over 90 percent of the customers are out. There's never been anything like this before.

That does not say it's not going to happen. That was not unequivocal.

They have not flatly denied it.

All they have to say is that the blind sheik is going to die in an American jail.

The release of he Abdel Rahman or any terrorist who plots to kill innocent Americans would be seen for what it is, a sign of weakness and a lack of resolve by the United States and its president.

All they have to do is that the blind sheikh is going to die in an American jail. Don't say there's no plan, because that means there could be a plan tomorrow.

If we get a clear unequivocal statement, not somebody saying it's garbage or anything else. We get the attorney general, secretary of state, to say emphatically that he will never, ever be released from an American prison and he will die…

I think we can say we have done, I think, as well if not better than almost any other committee in Congress in trying to find ways to work together.

I have no further requests for time. If the gentleman from Mississippi has no further speakers, I am prepared to close once he does.

At the outset, Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Miller for her hard work on this bipartisan legislation. After the attacks of September 11, Congress recognized the importance of securing our Nation's ports. The SMART Port…

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I am proud, at this time, to yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Lungren), who is chairman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies; and…