Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act, which would reauthorize FISA 702.
We live in a dangerous world, and section 702 is crucial to keeping Americans safe. This is a tool that our intelligence agencies rely upon all day to counter all kinds of threats to our homeland from U.S. nonpersons. Again, U.S. nonpersons.
Whether uncovering Chinese spies or foiling terrorist plots or intercepting cyberattacks, this authority is essential to our national security. This tool can even allow our intelligence community to counter drug cartels as they attempt to bring deadly fentanyl to our shores, but it would be enhanced by an amendment that Mr. Crenshaw and I are proposing, the Enhancing Intelligence Collection on Foreign Drug Traffickers Act.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment when we vote later this morning.
However, not all of the amendments today would strengthen this bill. In fact, I am strongly opposed to the amendment offered by Mr. Biggs, and I am obligated to point out the dangers of passing this extreme amendment.
Intelligence professionals who rely on this tool, 702, keep us safe and have been crystal clear. This amendment would make it nearly impossible to access information essential to protect our homeland security.
Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on the overall bill to reauthorize FISA, and a ``no'' vote on the Biggs amendment.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, today, I also rise in support of this important amendment that will help our intelligence community, strengthen our southern border, and save American lives.
This amendment will fully enlist our country's intelligence agencies in the fight against foreign drug traffickers. Foreign-made fentanyl is killing tens of thousands of Americans every year. It is critical that we start treating this danger as the very serious national threat that it is.
My legislation, which is called the Enhancing Intelligence Collection on Foreign Drug Traffickers Act, is now the bipartisan amendment that is led by myself and Mr. Crenshaw. This would allow our intelligence community to counter drug cartels as they attempt to bring deadly fentanyl to our shores.
Today, the intelligence community can only leverage section 702 against counternarcotics targets under one of the existing certifications, none of which are focused currently on drug trafficking.
This amendment would close that gap, without expanding domestic law enforcement's abilities to police drug dealers, in order to keep fentanyl from ever reaching the United States.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation, to pass the counternarcotics amendment led by myself and Mr. Crenshaw, and to reject any amendment that would put our national security at risk.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source