Political Quotes

“I think it is a document that will be of value to all Members of the Senate if they have not received it. I would like to draw the attention of the two managers to that operative paragraph 2: The Administration supports, in particular, the establishment of a NID with full, effective, and meaningful budget authorities and other authorities to manage the Intelligence Community including statutory authority for the newly created National Counterterrorism Center. The Administration will oppose any amendments that would weaken the full budget authority or any other authorities that the President has requested for the NID. The Administration will work in the legislative process to continue to strengthen and streamline intelligence reform legislation and to make adjustments to ensure that the President continues to have flexibility in combating terrorism and conducting intelligence activities. It is the operative phrase that 'the Administration will oppose any amendments that would weaken the full budget authority,' and the preceding sentence where they said 'a NID with full, effective, and meaningful budget authorities.' Mr. President, first, I would like to ask the two managers, is the purport of this paragraph consistent with all the several provisions in the bill that refer to budget authority, in their judgment?”