Boehner: House GOP Will Force Vote TODAY on Bipartisan Senate-Passed FISA Modernization Bill
Washington,
Feb 26, 2008 -
Today, prior to consideration of the Public Housing Asset Management Improvement Act, House Republicans will offer a proposal to force an immediate vote on the Senate’s bipartisan Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) modernization bill. The proposal will be offered during the debate on the Rule for consideration of the housing bill.
Boehner issued the following statement, announcing the GOP’s move to force a vote on the bipartisan, Senate-passed bill this afternoon:
“The motion on the House floor today will give every Member – Republican and Democrat alike – the opportunity to choose between voting for America’s security and voting for the trial lawyers. It’s just that simple.
“The bipartisan FISA bill passed with 68 votes in the Senate. It has the support of the President. And it commands a strong bipartisan majority in the House. Only House Democratic leaders, looking out for the interests of their trial lawyer campaign contributors, stand in the way of this critical legislation becoming law.
“This afternoon, using one of the few parliamentary tools available in the House under this Majority, House Republicans will force the Democratic leadership to finally deal with this national security priority. Every day that the House Democratic leadership delays, we are losing valuable information about terrorists’ plans. That is wrong and dangerous, and I welcome any Democratic Member who agrees to vote with us.”
Prior to a 12-day congressional recess that concluded yesterday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) blocked consideration of the bill, which passed the Senate by a bipartisan vote of 68-29, even though President Bush indicated he was prepared to sign the measure into law. Because Congress failed to act, intelligence officials and Members of Congress from both parties confirm that U.S. intelligence has been degraded since the Majority allowed the Protect America Act to expire at midnight on February 17, 2008.
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