Orrin Hatch: “We have been doing this for a year. We are trying to pass a bill here that will make a difference against terrorist…”

“We have been doing this for a year. We are trying to pass a bill here that will make a difference against terrorist crimes. I can say categorically that there is virtually always a way to get wiretaps if the prosecution wants it, if the law enforcement people want it. To just add the word terrorism, that would be efficacious, but it still would not stop anybody--if you do not add it, it still would not stop anybody from getting the necessary wiretaps in the case of suspected terrorists. We can overdue these technicalities to the end of the doggone Congress. The fact is, this bill contains alien terrorist removal provisions that will make a real difference. It contains designation of terrorist organizations that we do not have right now, neither of these provisions, that will make a real difference today. We have Hamas people in this country who want to murder our Jewish citizens, just to mention a few. We have Abu Nidal people in this country who want to murder our Jewish citizens and others, do anything to disrupt our economy. We have other terrorist organizations in this country. We have at least 1,500 known terrorists and organizations in this country. And we are standing here debating whether or not we should put a word into the bill. Now, I agree I would love to put it in, but in this year-long set of negotiations and work with the other body, they did not want it put in that way. They are concerned that we are expanding wiretapping too far. It is a legitimate concern.”