Providing For Further Consideration Of H.R. 2701, Intelligence Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2010

Floor Speech

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Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. I am sorry, I had to come over here and just respond to what was said by the chairman of the Intelligence Committee.

You said, in the previous administration, anything goes. Read the memo that just came out of the Justice Department. Look at the actions of the Justice Department. They suggest that anything did not go. To say that now is to besmirch the reputations of good men and women who have worked both career and political to save us from the threat of terrorists since 9/11. To come here and to say ``anything goes'' is a continuation of besmirching the reputations of good men and women. Frankly, it ought not to stand. Look at the facts. Look at the recent memo that reviewed those analyses. You will see that is not the case.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the chairman such time as he may consume.

Mr. REYES. First of all, in response to my friend from California's comment, I will just give you one example.

The issue of waterboarding has been characterized as the equivalent of a training exercise, that the SERE training does it to train our pilots. Don't you think there is a big difference between categorizing it in that way and waterboarding an individual 183 times?

Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. If the gentleman would look at the memo that just came out which reviews the legal analysis provided by the Justice Department in terms of waterboarding, you would see that there is not only a historic but a legal and substantial difference between the waterboarding referenced in the complaints versus that which we did.

Mr. REYES. Answer the question: Do you think there is a difference between a training exercise that simulates waterboarding?

Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. I would be happy to respond if the gentleman would allow me to.

Mr. REYES. Please.

Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. There is no difference in the application--the numbers, yes.

The fact of the matter is, after that individual was waterboarded multiple times, we received actionable information from the intelligence community, which allowed us to stop plots that were aimed at killing Americans. That has been said under oath by the highest levels of the intelligence community in the United States.

Mr. REYES. Reclaiming my time, that doesn't deserve a response.

What I will say is that the FBI and our interrogators, the professionals that they are, have proven that you can get better information by following the traditional interrogation procedures. You don't have to resort to ``enhanced interrogation techniques.''

Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. The facts are difficult.

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