William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry: “Let me suggest three reasons why he does not have a better idea. Number one, the bill before us sets up a new process to…”

“Let me suggest three reasons why he does not have a better idea. Number one, the bill before us sets up a new process to adjudicate immunity. Now, if a company voluntarily answered the request of their government, they did not do so to get a chance to have another legal process, to pay some more lawyers to file some more motions. That is not what they were doing. They were doing it to answer the call of their country, and I think most Americans believe that Good Samaritans should be thanked rather than punished with a new legal process. But I would also suggest that this new legal process chills any hope of voluntary cooperation in the future, not just for intelligence but for quick response for law enforcement matters as well. I don't see how any company can meet the obligations of the laws this Congress has passed to its shareholders and others and voluntarily submit themselves to another legal process to pay some more lawyers and file some more motions. Secondly, this bill requires court approval of processes, of procedures before foreign surveillance of foreign targets can ever begin.”