Alexander: House Delay on Terrorist Surveillance Puts Country at Risk
“The failure to approve Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act legislation means fewer surveillance operations, fewer companies and individuals willing to cooperate with our government’s intelligence operations, and less security for the American people.”
March 13, 2008 -
WASHINGTON – Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today released the following statement as the House prepared to recess without passing an update to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act which was approved by the Senate a month ago on February 12 by a vote of 68 to 29:
“It’s inexcusable that the House Democratic leadership refuses to allow a vote on the Senate’s bipartisan terrorist surveillance legislation. The failure to approve Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act legislation means fewer surveillance operations, fewer companies and individuals willing to cooperate with our government’s intelligence operations, and less security for the American people. Tennesseans want to know how the House of Representatives has time to investigate baseball, time for playpen politics, and time to take a recess, but doesn’t have time to deal with an intelligence bill. The House should not leave for recess until it has passed the bipartisan Senate-approved terrorist surveillance bill.”
