On the recordMay 27, 2010
I certainly agree with the distinguished Speaker about the importance of our role in national security and the importance of Congress' role in overseeing the intelligence community. I agree that national security is the first job of the Federal Government. I also agree with both the gentleladies from California that oversight can be improved from the Congress. As a matter of fact, I've had legislation, which has not been allowed to be voted on the floor, to make clear the notification requirements and statute about what any administration must notify Congress about, the information it must give us. I'd also have to point out that the 9/11 Commission made a number of very important recommendations on how we can improve oversight in this Congress. Unfortunately, that have not been adopted. Now, they adopted a kind of a hybrid panel of the Appropriations Committee, but that was not at all what the 9/11 Commission, the WMD Commission recommend we do to improve oversight. I think we should focus on making our committees of oversight more effective rather than bringing in this other entity, the General Accounting Office, that has historically never had a role with the intelligence community, and that the President says he will veto the bill over if we allow it to happen. Let's look at ourselves, improve ourselves first before we start bringing in others.
