New Web Video Chronicles Decision by House Democratic Leaders to Block Bipartisan FISA Bill
Majority Leader Hoyer on Strengthening America's National Security by Modernizing FISA: "There Is No Urgency"
Washington,
Feb 21, 2008 -
A new web video launched today by House Republican Conference Chairman Adam Putnam (R-FL) chronicles House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s (D-MD) decision to block the bipartisan Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) modernization bill passed overwhelmingly last week by the Senate. Because of the Majority’s decision to punt on this critical national security priority and leave Washington for a 12-day recess, U.S. intelligence officials were stripped of key terrorist surveillance tools over the weekend, exposing our nation and our allies to increased terrorist threats. The video is available here and below:
To view video, click HERE
The web video highlights a strong warning made last Sunday on Fox News Sunday by Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell that our nation is now at greater risk because of the House Democratic leaders’ inaction on the FISA modernization bill:
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Chris Wallace, host, Fox News Sunday: “Would you say the country is in greater danger now of terrorist attack because this law has expired?”
Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell: “Increased danger, and it will increase more and more as time goes on.”
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Democratic leaders in the House have attempted to spin such warnings as little more than “fear mongering.” However, they are ignoring the fact that many of their fellow Democrats have joined Republicans in favor of FISA modernization. For example, the web video includes a call by the Democratic Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) for passage of the bipartisan Senate FISA bill so critical intelligence is not lost after last weekend’s expiration:
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Sen. Jay Rockefeller: “People have to understand around here that the quality of the intelligence that we’re going to be receiving is going to be degraded. Is going to be degraded. It’s already going to be degraded.”
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Majority Leader Hoyer has shrugged-off these bipartisan calls for passage of the Senate FISA bill, telling colleagues on the House floor last week, “There is no urgency.”
If there is no urgency, that’s news to the Director of National Intelligence. If there is no urgency, that’s news to the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, not to mention a large bipartisan majority in that chamber. And if there is no urgency, that’s news to the 21 Blue Dog Democrats who wrote to Speaker Pelosi last month, urging her to schedule a vote on the bipartisan Senate bill.
The reality is the bipartisan Senate-passed FISA bill has been blocked by House Democratic leaders for one reason and one reason only: the urgency to satisfy trial lawyers. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, lawyers and law firms gave $85 million to Democratic candidates during the 2006 election cycle. And now, it’s payback time. How much longer will the House Democratic leadership sacrifice our national security for their own political gain?
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