Washington, DC – Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), who led Senate negotiators dealing with intelligence reform legislation and co-authored the original Senate version of the bill, today released the following statement:
“We believe the prospects are good that intelligence reform legislation will be passed by the House and Senate during the legislative sessions scheduled next week, so that the President can sign a bill before the end of the year. A majority of Congress supports the legislation that conference leaders compromised on and agreed to, and we are convinced that if the Speaker brings the bill to the House floor, that it would pass.
“We hope that House leadership and its members have now had more time to review the bill and will join us in completing our important responsibility, to enact real and comprehensive intelligence reform in order to make our country safer against terrorism and other future homeland security threats.
“As members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, we join our nation’s Commander in Chief in calling for Congress to pass this legislation. We believe a stronger Intelligence Community with one person in charge would better serve the American people and all those who work hard and sacrifice every day to protect them. Secretary of State Colin Powell has also said that this bill will improve the quality of intelligence to our warfighters. The bill will ensure a more coordinated national intelligence effort against terrorism and other homeland security threats, and will preserve the chain of command between military leaders and their troops in the field.
“We hope that the President, the American people, the families of the 9/11 victims, and the 9/11 Commission will continue to urge the House leadership to bring our conference report to a vote.”
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