Arlen Specter: “this is the third version of this amendment that has been circulated on this bill. It may well be that an earlier…”

“this is the third version of this amendment that has been circulated on this bill. It may well be that an earlier version of this basic idea would merit support from Senators, but in its present form, it is not worthy of support because it redefines what is material support. What constitutes material support is a complex issue. Before the Senate passes on it, there ought to be an analysis and hearings. The Judiciary Committee has had a whole series of hearings but none on this subject. The amendment further narrows the definition of what constitutes a terrorist organization. There, again, it is a complicated subject. It ought to be analyzed and considered at a hearing so that Senators have a record basis for making a determination as to whether it ought to be adopted. These are hardly the kinds of complex issues which can be decided without a record, without a hearing, and without analysis. The Senator from Arizona has cited the Taliban, but there are many other citations that could be given. Kurdish terrorists in Turkey might be admitted under this amendment because they pose no threat to the United States of America. Basque terrorists in Spain might be admitted because they pose no threat to the United States of America. Hamas, which poses a deadly threat to Israel, might be admitted to the United States because they arguably pose no threat on the face of it to our national security.…”