Political Quotes

“rather than spinning our wheels on this issue, there is a much more important issue that we should be dealing with today, and the very safety of our Nation is at issue. I'm disappointed that we have reached the point in this House that reasonable minds could not prevail on an issue that involves the very safety of the American people. Last August Congress passed, and the President signed into law, the Protect America Act. This critical legislation closed the gaps which had previously caused the intelligence community to miss more than two-thirds of all overseas terrorist communications, finally allowing the United States to stay one step ahead of the terrorists. The Senate amendments to H.R. 3773 would enable law enforcement and the intelligence community to continue their counterterrorism efforts, including working with telecommunications companies and allowing officials to gather intelligence from potential foreign terrorists outside the United States. At the same time, this bill is mindful of our Constitution and the protections it affords to U.S. citizens, whether they are inside or outside the United States. Furthermore, the authority provided by the bill would sunset in 6 years, allowing Congress to revisit any issues that might arise. We cannot afford to let the terrorists, particularly those who are conspiring abroad, to have the upper hand.”