Jay Rockefeller: “Before laying out where this bill improves upon the Senate-passed bill--and it does--let me first restate how proud I am…”

“Before laying out where this bill improves upon the Senate-passed bill--and it does--let me first restate how proud I am of our efforts in February that laid the foundation for the final action we will soon take. Our Senate bill established the framework for a judicial review of the targeting and minimization procedures which are at the heart of the present compromise. It also established clear authority and procedures for individual judicial orders where there is probable cause for targeting Americans overseas. This may long be regarded as the single most important innovation of the act we will soon pass. Additionally, during debate on our Senate bill, we identified other needed improvements that have been addressed in this compromise, including strengthening exclusivity, something Senator Feinstein was a great advocate of, and also a shorter sunset, something Senator Cardin wanted to see happen; that is, when the bill sunsets, and it will end before the end of the next administration. The bottom line is, we started with a good product in February and, through hard work and compromise with all parties in both Houses, we have made it even stronger. And we have. We have. We are all slightly aghast at what we were able to do. So let me mention a few of the key features in this new compromise. First, the agreement makes changes in the provisions related to targeting foreigners overseas to increase protections for Americans.”