On the recordJune 16, 2015
I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding and for the astute question that he asked, which is one that I would like to follow up on. Mr. Speaker, let me say to the gentleman from Georgia that he is quite right. There are very serious and important components of the intelligence bill covered by this rule. As many of us have experienced over the last couple of days, we are in and out of intelligence and security briefings because that is the era in which we live. And in most instances, Members draw their concern from the responsibility they have for protecting the American people. I am on the Homeland Security Committee and have continued on that committee since the tragedy, the heinous act of 9/11, and before, when the select committee was in place. So I have no quarrel with some of the important elements of this legislation. But the gentleman from Georgia should recognize that this is an aberration. There are two or three points that I would like to make: First of all, we are long overdue for getting rid of the sequester. This joke was played on Members and the American people only because of the supercommittee--not because of any individual Members, but there was a supercommittee structure put in place, the time ran out, and they could not come to a budget conclusion. So this was the ultimate end. Members didn't vote on this. They voted on the supercommittee, and then this was the hatchet that fell when the supercommittee did not work.…
