House Dems Admit Their Latest FISA Bill "Has No Real Chance of Senate Passage"
Majority Leadership Acknowledges Today's Vote is Nothing but a Hollow Political Ruse
Washington,
Mar 14, 2008 -
Lest anyone believe that today’s House vote on new Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) legislation is about anything other than politics, this morning’s CongressDaily AM makes the point crystal clear: even Democratic aides admit the bill – which is only being offered to give Democratic Members something to talk about in their districts – will never become law:
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“Democratic leadership aides said the House bill has no real chance of Senate passage. They said it ensures liberal Democrats will have a chance to throw their support behind FISA reform legislation.”
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At midnight on Saturday, our nation will begin its fifth week of being left more vulnerable to terrorist attack because House Democratic leaders continue to block the bipartisan Senate-passed FISA modernization bill. And because the leadership is prepared to send Congress on a nearly three-week Spring Break recess after today’s vote on the sham FISA bill, it’s going to be weeks – at least – before our intelligence officials will have all the tools they need to protect the American people.
At House Republicans’ request, last night the House entered into a historic secret session to discuss the urgent need for a fundamental modernization of FISA. The secret session was necessary for Members to have a candid discussion about our critical terrorist surveillance program – and it offered House Democratic leaders the chance to explain the rationale behind their refusal to schedule a vote on the bipartisan FISA modernization bill that was written by the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and passed by a lopsided bipartisan vote of 68-29. Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), Ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, explained why last night’s secret session was so vital:
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“When you review the secret data that is available, it becomes clear why it is imperative that our terrorist surveillance program be extended. At no time in the hitory of the United States Congress have we had a chance to address the secret data on terrorist threats against our homeland, troops, and allies on the House floor. This type of information is typically only made within the confines of the Intelligence Committee. Reviewed in context, when we talk about threats, it becomes clear that this is not fear mongering as some have claimed; it is, in fact, reality.”
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With the secret session now behind them, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) have apparently decided to continue placing politics above national security by forcing a vote on today’s bogus bill. Not only would the measure require prior court approval to gather foreign intelligence from foreign targets located overseas, but it also defies the will of at least 21 Blue Dog Democrats who wrote to Speaker Pelosi earlier this year, demanding a vote on the Senate-passed bill. The Blue Dogs – and a bipartisan majority in the Senate – insist that any FISA bill arriving at the President’s desk protect patriotic third parties who assisted our government after 9/11 from unfettered and costly lawsuits. But today’s flawed bill includes no such protections. In fact, it leaves these firms completely exposed to endless and frivolous lawsuits at the hands of the Democratic leadership’s trial lawyer allies, who – according to the Center for Responsive Politics – contributed $85 million to Democratic candidates in the 2006 election cycle. See a connection?
Congress is just hours away from leaving town for another lengthy recess without giving our intelligence officials the tools they need to fight al Qaeda. And Democratic leaders, who could bring the Senate-passed FISA bill to the floor today and let a bipartisan majority in the House works it by sending the legislation to the President’s desk, are apparently prepared to do nothing about it. Indeed, the House Democratic leadership is taking a Spring Break, even though al Qaeda won’t. Is this the type of leadership the American people expect from their representatives in Washington?
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