[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 129 (Sunday, October 10, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1851]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      INTRODUCTION OF RULES CHANGE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 7, 2004

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, today, I join in a bipartisan way, with my 
colleague Representative Christopher Shays from Connecticut, 
Representative John Dingell, the distinguished Dean of the House, and 
my friends and colleagues Representatives Ed Case, Max Sandlin, and 
Dennis Cardoza to introduce a bill that addresses the serious security 
threats that are impacting our Nation. According to the recommendations 
of the 9/11 Commission, Congress must reorganize to provide more 
effective oversight of our Nation's intelligence and homeland security 
efforts. This bill effectively deals with the problems by doing the 
following things:
  1. Creates a permanent standing Committee on Homeland Security--
[According to the 9/11 Commission, leaders of the Department of 
Homeland Security now appear before 88 committees and subcommittee of 
Congress. This is ``perhaps the single largest obstacle impeding the 
department's successful development.'' Currently, the Committee on 
Homeland Security is simply a Select Committee];
  2. Creates a permanent standing Committee on Intelligence--[According 
to the 9/11 Commission, Congressional oversight for intelligence and 
counterterrorism is ``dysfunctional'' and the Intelligence Committee is 
simply a Select Committee];
  3. Creates a 14th Appropriations Subcommittee on Intelligence--
[According to the 9/11 Commission, the Intelligence Committee should 
have authorizing and appropriating authority].
  Last week during markup of H.R. 10 in six committees, members and 
committees alike were uncertain of their jurisdiction over various 
parts of the bill. In fact, no single committee had overarching 
jurisdiction, so there was no mechanism to address the bill in its 
entirety. This proposed rules change will fix this problem. We cannot 
rely solely on the Executive Branch to solve our problems. We must not 
shirk our responsibilities as elected officials, and instead do 
everything in our power to prevent another tragedy from occurring. For 
these reasons, I am proud to introduce this important resolution.

                          ____________________