John Boehner: “We all know that in the years since 9/11 we have been focused on one vital goal, and that is stopping terrorist attacks…”

“We all know that in the years since 9/11 we have been focused on one vital goal, and that is stopping terrorist attacks before they happen. I want to commend Chairman Hunter and Chairman Sensenbrenner for their work on this piece of legislation. I think we all know that to stop terrorist attacks before they happen, we need to be able to interrogate terrorist suspects, find out what they know, and put them on trial. After 9/11, President Bush vowed to devote his Presidency to protecting the American people, and he vowed to use every tool at his disposal under the law to fight the terrorists and attack them before they attack us. If we are serious about stopping terrorist attacks before they happen, the ability to extract information from terrorist suspects and put them on trial is essential. President Bush put together a system to accomplish these goals after 9/11. We have captured some of the world's most dangerous terrorists. But now our efforts are on hold because of a Supreme Court decision in June and that without congressional authorization, the Federal Government lacks the authority to use military tribunals for these suspected terrorists. In the wake of this Court decision, Congress has a choice. We can do nothing and allow the terrorists in U.S. custody to go free or to go into a trial meant for American civilians; or we can authorize tribunals for terrorists, find out what they know, and bring them to justice.”