Majority's Latest FISA Bill Will Never Become Law
Statement
Majority's Latest FISA Bill Will Never Become Law
Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) issued the following statement opposing the Democratic leadership's latest Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) legislation, which fails to give U.S. intelligence officials the necessary tools to protect the American people and leaves patriotic third parties who assisted the federal government after 9/11 exposed from unfettered and costly lawsuits:
"This flawed legislation has no chance of becoming law, and the Majority knows it. Passing this bill simply gives the Majority's leaders another excuse to wait even longer to modernize a FISA law that has not been fundamentally reformed in three decades. Congress is now heading into yet another lengthy recess without sending President Bush the bipartisan Senate-passed FISA bill that overwhelmingly cleared that chamber. That means it will be at least another three weeks before our nation's intelligence officials have all the tools they need to protect the American people and our troops serving overseas. The fact that Congress is going on Spring Break - at a time when al Qaeda and other terrorist enemies continue plotting against us - is both irresponsible and dangerous.
"Today's vote makes it clear that trial lawyers and left-wing groups such as the ACLU are dictating the national security agenda of this Democratic House. By leaving companies who assisted our government after 9/11 exposed to frivolous and costly lawsuits simply to line the pockets of the Democratic leadership's trial lawyer allies, this Majority has made it clear that politics is a higher priority to them than our national security. That's a disturbing statement about the values of this broken Congress. Over the next several weeks, it is my hope that Members of both parties will reflect on their responsibilities to the American people - none of which are higher than our responsibility to help protect them - so we will return to Washington and finally send the bipartisan Senate bill to the President's desk."
Boehner represents Ohio's 8th District, which includes all of Darke, Miami and Preble counties, most of Butler and Mercer counties, and the northeastern corner of Montgomery County. He was first elected to Congress in 1990.
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