Posted on 11/16/2004 6:20:10 AM PST by OXENinFLA
[Page: H10919] GPO's PDF
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The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, on September 11, 2001, our Nation suffered the most horrible attack ever on American soil at the hands of those with a deep-seated, enduring hatred for freedom.
Since that day, every one of us has been anxious to do whatever we can to protect our Nation's security. We have made great strides in this direction over the past 3 years, and much of the bill currently being considered seeks to capitalize on the success of the policies of the Bush administration.
When 9/11 Commission Vice Chair Lee Hamilton and Commission member Slade Gorton testified before the Committee on the Judiciary, I promised that I would carefully analyze any proposal that would come before this Congress to ensure that independence and ingenuity are preserved and that any intelligence-gathering entity or entities are not susceptible to groupthink.
The creation of the National Intelligence Director in this bill is precisely the formula for groupthink.
[Time: 19:00]
I absolutely believe the sharing of information is essential, but a National Intelligence Director with budget control and hiring and firing authority will create the climate for top-down groupthink. This groupthink will eliminate the competition of ideas and hinder innovation and creativity. Next time, it will not matter how faulty the information sharing, but a matter of the information not being generated or discovered to begin with. Instead of seeking to create out-of-the-box, non-linear thinking, creative, effective intelligence organizations, this legislation is carving square pegs to fit into round holes. It is impossible not to reach the conclusion that groupthink is the inevitable result of the 9/11 Commission NID proposal.
We need to establish open channels of information-sharing between agencies, but not cripple them with top-down control. The testimony both before and by the 9/11 Commission established that there was not a single model of an intelligence culture that got it right. We must find the models we can use to create the types of agencies that can think outside the box.
Just as importantly, our national security begins at our borders. H.R. 10 included many immigration reforms that would have greatly improved the security of the United States. The conference committee either completely
[Page: H10920] GPO's PDF
They removed a requirement that all people entering the U.S. must provide secure verification of their identities and citizenship; a requirement that people present secure identification to establish their identity to Federal employees. They took out provisions which would have expedited the removal of illegal aliens and prevented terrorists from obtaining asylum.
They stripped a provision that would have cut down on excessive judicial review of the deportations of criminal aliens. They cut a provision which would have mandated that dangerous aliens who cannot be deported be detained. They chopped a section that would have imposed criminal penalties for false claims of citizenship.
Finally, the issue that has received the most attention lately, they cut a provision that would have barred illegal aliens from obtaining driver's licenses.
After all of this, they told the people who lost their loved ones on September 11 that those who are truly seeking to improve their safety are the ones holding this bill up in conference.
This is not a time for partisan politics or turf wars. If the goal here is truly to improve the security of our Nation as best we can, we cannot stifle intelligence activities nor ignore the mammoth threat pouring through our borders and living among us.
I urge my colleagues to join me in refusing to settle for a bill that does not do all it can to improve the safety of those who sent us here to represent them.
If only that was the goal of this bunch, ever, just once. They'll pass this pile and then I'll have to listen to that awful Susan Collins crowing and the even more awful Brietweiser creature who I am confident will run for office using this as a step stool. Ugh!
No kidding, who crowned her queen? If she runs I'd expect Hillary to jump on her campaign wagon.
How many times are the dems going to beat this dead horse?
Just getting to computer: Thanks for the heads up again:
I was listening to a local radio talk show this morning (dallas) and John Cornyn, my senator, was the guest. The talk show host is very conservative and I just got into the last 10 minutes, but Senator Cornyn was asked about the immigration part of bill. He seemed to indicate that what isn't in the Intel. Bill, will be tackled next year.
He talked for a long time about the need to secure our borders because of the terrorist threat, but when asked by the host about the illegal immigrant problem, he said that problem also needs to be "taken care of".
He correctly named off facts about how many illegals are here, and how many are coming over, but then he said "I don't think the people of America have the STOMACH to deport millions of illegals back to Mexico, so it might be better to work out some kind of worker program."
Yep, that's what he said--the host then said "NO, you are wrong, the vast majority of yours and Bush's constituents would love to see mass deportations". Cornyn said he would study the issue, that he wasn't aware of this.
I say, then, let's make sure every single senator is disavowed of the notion that Americans don't have the stomach for mass deportations of illegals. What do you say?
I don't know what is taking the House so long to go over it. They got everything they want and they are ignoring Sensenbrenner, I think.
Did you see Tancredo on Dayside w/Linda Vester? He was hot under the sports collar and said he hoped a lot of reps. would vote against the bill because of the lack of immigration control. When Shays who was on with him said they would deal with immigration next year in a stand alone bill, Tancredo just laughed and said "sure, it will", just as skeptical as we are.
Then, Linda had on Lincoln Chafee (rino alert) and she asked him about his trip to Iraq with Biden and Hagel. (Boy isn't that a troika!). He said that last year when he went, he was surprised because conditions were much better than he thought, BUT this year conditions are much worse than he thought. He proceeded to parrot Biden's line about all of these (no names) commanders telling them how bad things are getting and that they just didn't see things getting better. He just whined and whined.
Well, Linda stopped him and said "Isn't this what we expected in the lead up to elections? This is just what the White House has been warning us would happen.". The audience practically gave her a standing ovation. They did NOT like Chafee's negativity at all!!!!
Then, a man in the audience asked him how long they were there, and did they go all over Iraq or just the "worst" areas. Get this---Chafee said, we were only there one day, from morning until early evening!!!
Biden is telling everybody that ALL of the commanders are telling him that we are losing the war, and they were only there about 12 hours!!! Right!!
For everything they can get
However, the only one's that are glad the Dems are doing this are the far lefties
Tancredo will be on HANNITY today.
ANN COULTER TOO!!!
Ya-hooty!!!!!!! Love them both!!!!
Thanks for letting me know---
BTW-check out the new website that President Bush referenced in his speech today at Camp Pendelton.
www.americasupportsyou.mil---it is awesome, it is kind of a clearinghouse site that shows all of the ways that our troops are being helped and all of the ways that you can help both nationally and locally in your area.
I didn't spend much time there but if you will out a "form" with your name and tell them how you are helping and/or you intend to help troops, they will send you a free "dog tag" with America Supports Troops (or something like that) on it. To let people know---
I did send for one--I figure it will be a "conversation piece" if I wear it and if someone asks me what it is for, I can refer them to the website and get them to help support our troops.
Ann's on now...
Thanks for the ping .. just turned it on
The time has been split up three ways the dems & reps that want this bill and Tancredo's bunch.
Thanks .. just put it on
Ray LaHood from (R-IL)(Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security) tore into this bill eariler said he was againt it too.
THanks for keeping me up to date---I haven't been able to watch it--
See my post on the Intelligence Bill thread!!
We'll see come Jan.
Pardon me while I go gouge my eyes out, Pelosi is up.
Pelosi sounds scared about the immigration reform.
Whoops, my last post was to you. Pelosi is going to be a roadblock come Jan on immigration reform.
Did you hear what Pelosi said about immigration changes. She has been a total witch about it.---Not even a semblance of consideration to the concerns of the people for immigration control.
That woman is going to make sure that Tancredo and Sensenbrenner DO NOT get a stand alone bill!!!!
I'd like to scratch her eyes out---would wishing a mugging by an illegal immigrant be too much to wish on her?
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