Jay Rockefeller: “I have asked to address the Senate on a national security matter of great concern to me. I call my colleagues' attention…”

“I have asked to address the Senate on a national security matter of great concern to me. I call my colleagues' attention to the Senate's inexplicable failure to pass the fiscal year 2006 Intelligence authorization bill. The bill was approved and reported by the Intelligence Committee on September 29, and it has been available for Senate action since November 16. This legislation is too important to be allowed to languish in legislative limbo. That is where it is. I am at a loss to understand why the Senate cannot complete action before we adjourn on a matter of national security that is this important. As I understand the current parliamentary situation, the Intelligence authorization bill cannot be brought up or be passed under unanimous consent because of Republican objection, and the majority leader has decided that it does not merit the minimal amount of floor time needed to approve the bill, which would pass quickly. I am informed that one or more Republican Senators object to the inclusion of amendments offered by Democratic Senators even though Chairman Roberts has accepted those amendments--and those amendments were agreed to by the full committee. If there is opposition to these provisions, I urge the majority leader to allow us to bring up the bill, debate, and vote on the amendments. Our side is willing to agree to very short time agreements to each of the three amendments.…”