Sheila Jackson Lee: “As a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee and vigilant defender of our national security, I rise in support…”

“As a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee and vigilant defender of our national security, I rise in support of H.R. 3180, the ``Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018,'' which will provide the Intelligence Community (IC) with the necessary resources and authorities to ensure they remain capable of protecting and defending the United States. Our intelligence community is facing unprecedented threats from our adversaries around the world as this Administration struggles with the basics of leading this great nation. The Obama Administration left the nation with a stable and growing economy; several important international coalition wins that include the Iranian Nuclear Arms Deal; the Russia Sanctions; and the Paris Climate Agreement. The work of our intelligence community is a key asset in our efforts to thwart our adversaries when they seek to do Americans or our interests harm. Following the Election, President-elect Trump was critical of the intelligence community. In December 2016, he attacked the CIA over its assessment that Russian hacks on Democratic political targets were intended to help him win the White House. In January of this year just prior to his inauguration, he compared our intelligence community to Nazi Germany, while making an unfounded accusation that the intelligence community leaked an unconfirmed dossier of sensitive information regarding him compiled by a private investigator.…”