Political Quotes

“I want to thank the chairman for yielding and congratulate him for his outstanding work on this important intelligence authorization bill. It has been my privilege to work on the committee now for 4 years. Let me just say, Madam Speaker, that I rise in strong support of H.R. 2701. It has been nearly 6 years since an intelligence authorization bill has become law. This bill helps to provide the intelligence community with the essential tools it needs to confront the threats posed by our adversaries, and it is vital that this bill pass today. It takes a number of important steps toward improving congressional notification, particularly with respect to Gang of Eight issues, making sure that the Intelligence Committee is actually informed when the top Members of the Congress have been notified that an intelligence activity has occurred. It also makes sure that the President has to provide the legal basis for all intelligence activities. Beyond that, this bill would enact a number of important reforms, but it makes particularly important strides in securing the Nation's cyberspace. Clearly, our Nation's water, power, communications, and emergency response systems all depend on a secure, resilient information infrastructure. All are under regular threat from hackers, terrorists, and foreign intelligence agencies. This bill includes an amendment that I proposed requiring a study of the capabilities of America's current Federal cybersecurity workforce.…”