William F. Smith

Mr. Speaker, we all took an oath in this Chamber to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, both foreign and domestic. That is what this debate here today is really all about. By allowing the Protect…

FISA Fix For Lawyers National Security: Wiretap law is supposed to protect the U.S. by discovering and foiling terrorist operations. Congressional Democrats seem to think its purpose is to line the pockets of their trial lawyer supporters…

While this proposal is marginally improved over the first proposal, it still contains flaws that make it defective. The fundamental flaw of the proposal is that it fails to reform the House Ethics Committee itself. The creation of another…

Mr. Speaker, today we honor Cyndi Taylor Krier, a distinguished public servant who has spent more than a quarter of a century in local, State and Federal public office in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government…

I support better health care being made available for the mentally ill. Americans should have the freedom to choose health care plans that offer mental health benefits. I also support the passage of H.R. 1424, the ``Paul Wellstone Mental…

Today is day 11 without the Protect America Act and so our Nation continues to be at greater risk of attack from terrorists. Yesterday I submitted an amendment to the Rules Committee to attach the Senate-passed FISA bill to H.R. 5351, the…

there is nothing more germane to the security of the American people than to take up the Senate bill as quickly as possible. Now I would like to reiterate my disappointment that the majority has raised a point of order against this motion…

the Democratic majority's decision to ignore the requests of our intelligence community has endangered our national security. Why do House Democrats refuse to give the intelligence community the tools they need to protect American lives? A…

Two-thirds of Americans say voters should be required to show photo identification before voting, according to a new Fox 5-Washington Times-Rasmussen survey. But not one major newspaper, aside from the Washington Times, featured those poll…

I reluctantly support H.R. 5104, which extends the Protect America Act for 2 weeks. Last year, the Director of National Intelligence, Admiral McConnell, notified Congress about a dangerous loophole in our ability to collect intelligence…

I support H.R. 3992, the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act. This legislation addresses the unique challenges that mentally ill offenders create for our criminal justice system. Madam…

I support H.R. 3971, the Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2007, and commend Chairman Conyers, Crime Subcommittee Chairman Scott, and Crime Subcommittee Ranking Member Gohmert for their commitment to this bipartisan legislation. The Death…

the national media continue to devote a disproportionate amount of news coverage to the Democratic Presidential campaign. For example, on the day before the Republican primary in Michigan, NBC's Today Show gave almost 7 minutes to the race…

A Sacred Heart University poll released this month found that less than 20 percent of those surveyed believed news media reporting. Almost nine out of 10 Americans believe that the news media attempt to influence public opinion, and about…

a study by Harvard University and the Project for Excellence in Journalism has reaffirmed what many of us have long observed: Media coverage of Democratic Presidential candidates has been far more abundant and favorable than coverage of…

I strongly support the Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government Act of 2007. This legislation gives the public more information and better insight into the workings of the government by strengthening the Freedom of…

the deplorable crime of human trafficking exploits the innocent while it promotes illegal immigration. The legislation we are considering today builds upon the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. That historic legislation combated…

the motion to recommit says ``promptly,'' because the bill needs to go back to committee immediately. Members were given almost no notice of what was going to be in this bill. There are many questions remaining about the text because it…

Mr. Speaker, there is a time and place for politics and partisanship. But there are in fact important issues that transcend politics. The security of our Nation outweighs politics, especially when our country is at war. One of the finest…

I rise in support of the ``Second Chance Act of 2007.'' I commend Chairman Conyers, Crime Subcommittee Chairman Scott, along with Ranking Member Mr. Forbes, and Representatives Chris Cannon, Danny Davis, Howard Coble, and Stephanie…

Mr. Speaker, the Democratic leadership calls the RESTORE Act of 2007 a compromise. Well, I agree. It compromises our national security. Why do Democrats want to make it more difficult to gather intelligence about terrorists after 9/11 than…

H.R. 2102 presumes that a journalist is entitled to a reporter's privilege unless the government can show a court otherwise. The government can only do this by meeting certain threshold requirements set forth in the bill. After all those…

Mr. Speaker, I could use my time today to discuss the bill before us because it does some good things, as the gentleman from North Carolina has pointed out. For example, it clarifies a definition of ``Internet access'' to ensure that…

The administration said that if H.R. 2102 were presented to the President in its current form, his senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill, and here's one of the reasons why: "The bill would impose an unreasonable and…

I strongly endorse H.R. 1908, the Patent Reform Act of 2007, and I urge my colleagues to support American inventors, American businesses, and the American people by voting for this bill today. Last year we laid a substantial foundation for…