Transcript of Rep. Fossella's Floor Statement on the need to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

Floor Statement made by Representative Vito J. Fossella  on August 1, 2007

Let me bring up another point, and despite all the things we talk about here nothing is more important than protecting this country. Regrettably I lost more people in Staten Island and Brooklyn than any other district in this country on 9/11 and we should be doing everything possible to ensure our intelligence community is preventing terrorist attacks and Congress right now, I believe, is advocating its responsibility. 

That is why I ask to defeat this rule and urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question on the rule. If the previous rule is defeated we will immediately bring legislation to the floor to solve the intelligence gap. 

Very simply, the American people need to know if there is a foreigner on foreign soil, if there is an area in say Afghanistan where the intelligence community knows for a fact that there are terrorists plotting attacks to kill Americans, right now without a court order we can’t listen to those conversations. That is irresponsible. 

If we want to help and protect the American people to the best of our ability we will allow the intelligence community to listen to foreigners on foreign soil whose sole objective is to kill more Americans or our allies without obtaining a court order or a warrant. 

If we have another attack, God forbid, I’d like to see members of this Congress rush to the floor and explain why they wouldn’t let our intelligence community to listen to foreigners on foreign soil who only want to do one thing : kill us.