Orrin Hatch: “we are all interested in moving forward to support this funding bill, and we broke through the barrier where this is the…”

“we are all interested in moving forward to support this funding bill, and we broke through the barrier where this is the last pending amendment. We are also even more concerned that the Government have the right tools to hunt down and find the cowardly terrorists who wreaked such havoc 2 days ago. For this reason, I believe it is important to make available important tools to those investigating this and related matters. This amendment, in my opinion, is critical and should pass this evening. I have been working with my colleagues, Senators Feinstein, Kyl, and Schumer, on a package of reforms that can aid these investigations. I will highlight a few of the provisions to this bill. As the tragic events of this week have shown, one of the most essential tasks our Federal Government faces in the post-cold-war era is that of protecting our Nation and our citizens from the unprovoked acts of terrorism. In the aftermath of Tuesday's devastating attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, we, as lawmakers, must take every step possible to ensure, in addition to adequate financial resources, that the law enforcement community has the proper investigative tools at its disposal to track down the participants in this evil conspiracy and to bring them to justice. One of the most effective investigative tools at the disposal of law enforcement agencies is the ability to go to a Federal judge and get wiretapping authority. It is critical in matters such as this.…”